Jan Harness

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  1. Are you pretty?

    4/25/12 8:19am by Jan Harness
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    Are you pretty? It's a question a poem can answer and National Poetry Month is the perfect time to raise it.With April 26 set as Poem In Your Pocket Day, I struggled re: what poem to carry. I like so many poets. So many poems. The choices were overwhelming.  Read more >

  2. S.O.B.

    1/8/12 10:58am by Jan Harness
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    S.O.B.by Jan Sokoloff HarnessI told himhe was agood for nothingson of a bitchand I meantevery word butevery word was a lie.His mother was reallya lovely personand he was very goodat some things.Very good,if you know what I mean.And you know what I meanbecause we’ve all been there.We’ve all been in lovewith a good for nothingson of a bitchand the horsethat he rode in on.©Jan Sokoloff Harness 2012    Read more >

  3. Best Line of the Week

    1/8/12 10:51am by Jan Harness
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    On Saturday, Mary and I enjoyed a dress rehearsal/performance by the Olathe South Golden Girls. Right before one dance, the coach stopped the team, talked to the girls quietly and sent them back to the dressing room. She then turned to those of us gathered and said, "I apologize for the delay, but this was a teachable moment. Mistakes are easy to fix. Habits are hard to break."  Read more >

  4. Say NO in November

    11/15/11 8:44pm by Jan Harness
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    I planned to post this on Nov. 1 to kick off the month. But, as time approached, that started to feel like a self-imposed, needless deadline during a very busy week. So I followed my own advice. I began November by saying NO to myself.I did post it on my Creative Instigation blog the next week. But it took another week to post here. And that's OK -- because I own this month. And you can too. It's easy ...  Read more >

  5. What's Your Gonzo Wrap?

    9/28/11 8:31am by Jan Harness
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    A hail storm that hit our area this summer damaged the siding we had installed on the house years ago. Today, a crew of three men from the siding company showed up, walked around to the back of the house, looked at the siding and immediately said,"That's a Gonzo wrap."  Read more >

  6. Advice to My Daughter as She Leaves for College

    7/5/11 8:01pm by Jan Harness
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    I Meant Every WordAdvice to my daughter as she leaves for college Look both ways. Hold hands.I can see you.Watch your mouth. Brush your teeth.Everything will be all right.You’ll feel better in the morning.You made the mess. You pick it up.Be nice to your friends. Think for yourself.Remember the magic words, please.This will only hurt a little.You will always be my baby.Hold hands.Look both ways. Text me when you get there.   Read more >

  7. Everybody's Dog Dies

    3/11/11 7:28am by Jan Harness
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    Journalists have a penchant for writing columns whenever their dogs die. Well, it needs to stop. Everybody's dog dies. My dog died. Your dog died. And if we get new dogs, they'll die too. That, my friend, is life. I'll tell you what else. Everybody's husbands and wives make them crazy, no one gets enough sex, no one has enough time, no one makes enough money. Our kids are the best, our kids are the worst, and we're all afraid we'll pick up the phone and someone will say, "Your mother is dead." And you know why? Because everybody's mom dies. And you know what else?  Read more >

  8. Do You See What I See?

    2/17/11 7:38am by Jan Harness
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    This past Sunday, I went out for brunch with three friends. We walked into the small restaurant and: Laurie noticed new artwork on the walls. Karen was impressed with the daily specials on the whiteboard. I saw the Christian literature nestled among the condiments on our table. Sue pondered what impact the inside waterfall would have on the heating and cooling bills. It took all of us some time to see the big white cross by that waterfall. And, yes, I was the one who saw it first.Perspective is an amazing thing.  Read more >

  9. How to Write a Valentine!

    2/10/11 9:19am by Jan Harness
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    hearts and petals

    A few of my grumpy friends have been muttering about Valentine's Day ... not a real holiday, retail promotion, expensive, ridiculous ... you get the picture. This is what happens when the bulk of your friends pass 40. Sigh.  Read more >

  10. 18 Ideas for Your Next Snow Day!

    2/5/11 7:57pm by Jan Harness
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    In Kansas City last week, we had a few snow days. Snow days! The perfect excuse to stay home and ... do what?Apparently, answering that question was a problem for some people. They got bored after the first day. To which I say, ridiculous. There are 80 gazillion things to do on a snow day. I'm going to get your creative juices going with the first 18 that come to mind: 1. Build a fort.I know. I know. You don't have a kid. Did I say you needed a kid? No, I did not. All you need is a sheet and a couple of chairs.  Read more >

Jan Sokoloff Harness

Full Name
Jan Sokoloff Harness
Member Since
February 2010
About Me: 

Creativity coach, award-winning writer, national presenter, darn fine baker, entrepreneur. Oh, and I'm also, in no particular order: a daughter, wife, mother, friend, volunteer, mentee, mentor, poet, collage artist and serial procrastinator.

Surprising fact: I hear better because I'm half deaf. I learned as a child to really pay attention and listen -- something others took for granted. I can also lip read a bit. And read upside down, but that has nothing to do with the deafness. That's an old reporter's trick.

Employers: 

Sokoloff Harness Communications LLC

School Tags: 

University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism

About Me Tags: 

creativity

writing

motherhood

Causes Tags: 

literacy

cancer

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