Joy Zimmerman

“Growing pains are not just for the young…” 

While experiencing those uncomfortable pangs once again, this line became the genesis of “The Firefly”. I was reminded of fireflies kept too long in mason jars. Did you also gather up fireflies…

Isn’t this a fabulous premise? A noted author travels far and wide to thank his mentors by preparing beautiful, home-cooked meals of thanksgiving. He shares each “pilgrimage of gratitude and generosity” with a mentee or two, thereby widening the circle…

One of my favorite Christmas cards ever arrived in our mailbox several years ago. The front photo had your typical darling, smiling, outfit-coordinated children, but the backside was hilarious. The photographer captured the action a few minutes before or afterwards…

Snow began falling on our drive home from Des Moines yesterday afternoon. As Linda and I re-lived the delight of the two workshops I led at Mercy Medical Center, Linda’s cell phone rang. During a routine teeth cleaning, our vet…

What body images have shaped your beauty standards -- Rubenesque figures, Twiggy or Nicki Minaj? How wide is your definition of loveliness? 

True story--I avoided my neighborhood pool for a whole summer in middle school because I thought my butt…

I love hearing the inspirations that led songwriters to their songs. And I love knowing what makes artists tick. 

These fascinations led me to this leap of faith into the blogging world. My intent is to explain Note by Note…