Tara is a published author, poet, and freelance writer, currently residing on Vancouver Island. Writing credits include multiple outdoor adventure articles published at www.snowshoemag.com and www.riversportmag.com, as well as BC Market Reports for Thompson Okanagan Homes & Land magazine, and a news article and guest columns on www.castanet.net. She also writes blogs for a marketing company out of Nanaimo.
Tara is currently enrolled in online Athabasca University English courses and now has a trilogy of children’s eBooks available on Amazon’s KDP Select for Kindle: Ellie Captures a Star, Ellie Walks on the Moon, and Ellie Makes Sunshine. You can check out her web site and blog at www.tarapanrucker.wordpress.com.
Breaking from writing and studying, Tara enjoys practicing her ukulele, iPhone photography, stand up paddle boarding, and exploring hiking trails, usually with her feisty Boston Terrier leading the way—by a long way!
thrusting forward my arms squeeze around you tighter and tighter your wrist snaps gripping the throttle accelerating instantly lunging faster and faster we fly along the yellow line taking the corners at a forty-five-degree angle to the hard, rough asphalt below eyes wide open i watch the world go disconcertingly by in a vibrating blur… Read more »
Life is far from perfect. No matter outward appearances, even the most ideal seeming life (okay, maybe not Gwyneth Paltrow’s) is rife with challenges, losses, and obstacles to overcome. What separates individuals who let life get them down from those who overcome, or even flourish under difficult circumstances, are healthy coping strategies. But what are… Read more »
When life gets busy, life becomes messy. Small items start to go missing and time is wasted searching for keys, phone chargers, and clothes. While organizing your living space may seem like a chore, doing so can bring about a great sense of peace and a surge of new creative energy. Time is also no… Read more »
Some people might think working and studying from home is a dream. You get to make your own work or study hours, avoid a stressful morning commute, and sip your steaming mug of coffee while wearing pajamas in front of your computer. Indeed, these are all great benefits to working and taking online courses from… Read more »
Concluding you need to end a romantic relationship is never an easy decision. No matter how long you’ve invested in the partnership, it’s hard to let someone down easy. However, there may come a day when it becomes glaringly obvious it must be done. For example, when your boyfriend knows a little too much about… Read more »
People are creatures of habit. We like our predictable routines and the ebb and flow of our days to go from waking up, going to school, putting on our work face, and coming home to unwind. Routine is useful for a lot of things, like studying, getting to work on time, and organizing a productive… Read more »
There’s no doubt about it, educational expenses are high and you want to get the most for your dollars. Achieving success in your education involves not only putting effort into studying and reading, but also demanding valuable guidance from your tutor. Therefore, you must be comfortable reaching out to your tutor on a regular basis…. Read more »
Embracing a major life change late in life is no easy task. Perhaps a marriage did not turn out the way you expected and you found yourself single after envisioning a long life together with one person. Perhaps your job ended unexpectedly and options remain scarce to continue in the same field. Or perhaps where… Read more »
Book: Writing Down the Bones Author: Natalie Goldberg I stumbled upon a mentor for life in Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within (2005). Her book was on a suggested reading list in an obscure writing class I took many years ago. First published in 1986, this should be a standard go-to… Read more »
“A mind that is fast is sick. A mind that is slow is sound. A mind that is still is divine.” –Meher Baba, Indian spiritual master Recently, meditation has become more mainstream. Although seemingly mysterious and boring at the same time, to many people zooming around in our fast-paced society meditation has become more of… Read more »