Yesterday was the 4-year anniversary of my mother's death, and I decided there was no better way to celebrate her life than by filling my weekend with things she used to love. Red wine. An excursion to the thrift store. Documentaries. Dean Koontz. Coffee. Haunted locales. I've tackled it all in 3 short days. They say the spirits of the departed are never far from their domains-the places they most frequented in life. What better way to connect with memories and muster the courage to face our tomorrows in all their complex uncertainty?

Today also marks the start of NaNoWriMo-that's National Novel Writing Month for the uninitiated. And while this won't be a part of the big project I plan to tackle, it's the perfect way to get the juices flowing, and maybe, just maybe, I'll inspire you to do something similar. Everyone has a story, and so long as it is told, we fend off Death, which is stopped in her tracks by spirit.