If the Present is a Gift, so is the Past

a woman is sitting at a desk with an ocean chart and an open log book

January 6, 2026January 7, 2026 ~ Kana Smith ~ 9 Comments

Writing Prompt: "Do you spend more time thinking about the past or the future? Why?" Truth be told, I tend to shy away from the future. I'm uncomfortable with unknowns, and the future is nothing-but. Oh sure, I always seem to have A Plan---but I've also come to realize how seldom my "Plan" is what … Continue reading If the Present is a Gift, so is the Past

Lost & Found

November 14, 2025November 14, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 14 Comments

I just got sucked into the "Daily Prompt." I've been peripherally aware that the daily writing-prompt was a Thing, having seen blog-posts that responded to it---but I hadn't really paid attention. My brain is a busy enough place that I don't generally "go looking" for a prompt. But I do go for a daily stroll … Continue reading Lost & Found

Punching Bag

October 31, 2025November 20, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 9 Comments

As work-environments go, ours is pretty out of the ordinary. We run an RV Park and live onsite (that's not the weird part---although it certainly has its interesting moments). It's a small park---just 105 sites, around 65 of which are occupied by long-term folks---which functions almost like a mini-town within our already-small-town. And we only … Continue reading Punching Bag

Giving Thanks: The “October Curse” Stays Lifted

a woman sits in darkness with her face in her hands. Behind her is a calendar open to "October"

October 30, 2025October 30, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 28 Comments

I couldn't tell you what it is about Octobers, but nearly every drama and trauma of my adult life has landed on me in an October. It makes for a month littered with traumatic anniversaries and destructive memories. October has been a haunted month for me, for reasons entirely unrelated to Halloween. Some of those … Continue reading Giving Thanks: The “October Curse” Stays Lifted

Podcast Debrief

cartoon of a woman standing in a rowboat holding a fishing pole with a white whale on the other end, saying "NOW what?"

October 28, 2025November 6, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 3 Comments

For all my angst-ing ahead of time ("On the Subject of Being the Subject"), I very much enjoyed my conversation with Josh Pantalleresco of "Just Joshing". Although it occurs to me that I did rather deflect from being-the-subject by asking him questions... You would too, I think---he's literally walking and hitching across continents (Canada, then … Continue reading Podcast Debrief

On the Subject of Being the Subject

AI-generated image of the author wearing audio headset sitting at a desk

October 26, 2025October 28, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 21 Comments

"My eighth rule of success," the Interviewer says, "is to stay uncomfortable." He's talking about making choices in life, and not just staying in your comfort zone. I'm listening to this podcast---the Interviewer and his two subjects on topics ranging comfortably from Buddhist practices to travel to the character of Canadians compared to Americans---because I'm … Continue reading On the Subject of Being the Subject

A Reading Proposal for You, Reader:

October 24, 2025October 25, 2025 ~ Kana Smith ~ 5 Comments

For those of us writers who are working outside the realm of big publishing-houses, we have to jump-start and generate our own publicity for what we write---so I have a proposal. For anyone who is game for posting a book review (on your blog or vlog or podcast or FaceBook, or wherever-it-is that you post … Continue reading A Reading Proposal for You, Reader: