Tag Archives: rajalary

Bored Pets and Over-stimulated Human

The other day, while huffing and puffing on an elliptical machine, reading a TIME magazine, occasionally glancing at the TV overhead, and observing the activity in the gym, I had an epiphany. Two of the stories I was reading were oddly related. The first story titled, “Dog Interrupted,” was about psychological problems experience by pets. […]

What Have We Learned?

During a flight on Christmas Day, my husband and I struck up a conversation with a man originally from Guam. He touted the beauty of the island, commenting on its rich history. In particular, he mentioned during World War II, the native Chamarro people protected American service men from being captured by the Japanese who […]

Marketing from the Grocery Aisles: Price Tags Matter!

I’ve always brought my lunch to work, mainly because I can’t justify spending money for something I can make for a few dollars and then eat all week. Granted, some weeks I have fabulous lunches of homemade soups I made the Sunday before. Other weeks, I prepare a hearty salad, made from grains, wild rice, […]

Lessons from Spinning. Just Shut-up!

Originally posted on Quora.com Twice a week, I take a spinning class. The instructor on Wednesdays is an older man who wears jerseys from prominent local races; although, it’s unknown whether he purchased them as a participant, spectator, or off eBay. Nevertheless, his instruction style is grating with his barking directions every  5 to 10 […]

Writing Isn’t a Puzzle

(This articles was originally published on Quora) Reading my title, you may have jumped to the conclusion I’m going to share the secrets to crafting engaging, beautifully constructed prose. The puzzle of great writing solved! Alas, my title is a double entendre. The challenge of writing isn’t like a puzzle, where the pieces neatly fit […]

Marketing from the Grocery Aisles: Your Employees are Your Business

Last week, after a tiring spinning class, I noticed a Fortune magazine in the gym’s reading rack. Wanting an excuse to rest, I plopped down on a rowing machine, and flipped through the page of the magazine to Best Companies 2014. I was surprised to find Wegmans Food Markets 12th on the list, dropping from […]

Marketing from the Grocery Aisle: Evolving Status Quo

Whether we realize it or not, we’re trained to act a certain way when we visit certain retail locations. Step onto a car lot, and you probably used to looking both ways, expecting a sales person to hasten out of the showroom or materialize from between a car. Should you want to purchase a car, […]

Similarities between Strawberries and Writing

Several years ago, I planted bare-root strawberries at our Mount Vernon house. Purchased at a local feed store, I questioned whether they’d grow since they were nothing more than shriveled foliage with stems attached. Within weeks of planting, they awoke from their dormancy, producing beautiful foliage, and subsequently delectable strawberries and runners. Last year, there […]

Marketing from the Grocery Aisles: Swimming in the Ocean

While perusing the web, looking for what’s new in supermarkets, I happened on an article about Fresh & Easy, a chain of markets that specializes in fresh, wholesome food for modern consumers. Its 157 small-format grocery stores are located around Las Vegas, Phoenix, and major California metropolitan areas. The chain’s latest marketing campaign touts “a […]

Just a Writer

It inevitably happens. Someone I work with reduces my contributions to those of “just a writer.” This proclamation is almost always delivered by a person who is not only a mediocre writer, but prone to denigrating others to divert attention away from their limited skills and accomplishments. Maybe they think I toss words into the […]