There’s an old Western romance novel, “Call of the Canyon,” by cowboy author Zane Grey. It is set in Arizona’s Northland in the 1920s, featuring Oak Creek Canyon and the high desert terrain surrounding Flagstaff and Sedona. Stunning, glamorous Carley Burch is the heroine who follows her fiancé from her high-society life back East to the rugged and wild Southwest. By the way, it was a passage in the book about Carley warming her hands by the fire in Flagstaff’s Hotel Weatherford that inspired … [Read more...] about Grounded in a Calling Received in a Bathtub
Bonnie Stevens
Northern Arizona Business News Vodcast About to Launch
Business news seekers soon will be able to watch a fresh new program designed specifically for Northern Arizona, created to inform, engage and inspire. Zonie Living: Business, Adventure and Leadership is a television show or vodcast (video podcast) that will expand on Flagstaff Business News feature stories and take viewers right to the scene, whether it’s inside a local inventor’s workshop, outside for the view on little-known trails or alongside seasoned professionals for a dose of some … [Read more...] about Northern Arizona Business News Vodcast About to Launch
Called to the Stage
Stage actress Robyn Allen has spent more than 30 years in the entertainment industry, but says she had to overcome her shyness to perform. “I was always very shy,” she said, “but if I had written a poem, I would just stand up and recite it in front of my relatives. I think that’s how they tricked me into auditioning for plays in school.” Soon she found her own trick, which was to become completely immersed in the character and stay focused. Allen shared her story with more than 100 … [Read more...] about Called to the Stage
Be Part of Someone’s Best Day
I met 7-year-old Maggie on the warm sands of Doheny State Beach in California’s Orange County. She arrived with her lovely family and upon our introduction, she hid her face behind her mom for a very long time. This tiny, beautiful, shy and frightened little girl did not look happy to be there. Despite a long struggle of pleading from her family and big warm smiles from me, she was not having any part of this Best Day Foundation playdate at the beach. Her amazingly encouraging big brother, Sam, … [Read more...] about Be Part of Someone’s Best Day
FBN Author Unveils Spiritual, Walking Book
Flagstaff Business News reporter Stacey Wittig has launched her fifth book at a gathering of American Pilgrims on Camino at Notre Dame, Indiana. When airlines canceled Wittig’s flight and subsequent pilgrimage walk across France because of COVID-19 last September, the author decided to walk a pilgrim path in the United States instead. When she reached out to Wisconsin Way organizers, a pilgrimage loosely based on the Camino de Santiago in Spain, she learned there was no guidebook to help find … [Read more...] about FBN Author Unveils Spiritual, Walking Book
Five Pounds to Perfect
Do you ever hear yourself starting sentences with, “If only,” or “When I,” or “After I?” They sound like this: “If only I had a doctoral degree, I could get the job I really want,” or “After I make my first million, I can travel to exotic lands,” or “When I lose five pounds, I’ll reward myself with a beach vacation!” These sentence starters sort of sound like goal setters, but don’t be fooled. They can really be tricky little non-starters. Five pounds may as well be 500 pounds, because, in … [Read more...] about Five Pounds to Perfect
Hissing is Never a Good Sound
I once had dinner with a rattlesnake. It was an uninvited guest, but nonetheless, it showed up at suppertime while I was grilling. I did what any courageous Arizonan should do who doesn’t have a long-handled shovel or a pair of snake tongs. I called the fire department – which I’ve heard is the No. 1 reason people make emergency calls to Scottsdale firefighters. I’ve also heard it’s the No. 1 call they hate. Knowing this, I called anyway. The dispatcher explained that this particular evening … [Read more...] about Hissing is Never a Good Sound
Life’s ‘Best Used By’ Date is Now
Humans are creative and resourceful, but sometimes it takes a transformative event to get us motivated. In the new movie “Grace and Grit,” featured at the Sedona International Film Festival, filmmaker Sebastian Siegel and spirituality guru and former U.S. presidential candidate Marianne Williamson visited Sedona to discuss how deeply focused people can become when death is staring them down. The movie is an adaptation from Ken Wilber’s book with the same name. His wife, Treya Killam … [Read more...] about Life’s ‘Best Used By’ Date is Now
We are Better When We Move
Turns out the Sundance Kid had it right. “I’m better when I move,” he explained, during a job interview to be a payroll guard, when asked if could shoot. And the truth is, so are we. Except now there’s a whole lot of research backing Sundance up, much like Butch Cassidy’s Hole in the Wall Gang when they were robbing trains (which is a physical activity). Banner Health applauds physical activity. In an article published in 2020, the medical non-profit giant and largest employer in Arizona … [Read more...] about We are Better When We Move
Reflecting the Glow of a Lucky Starfish
There’s a popular story told by many a motivational speaker that describes a person walking along a beach who was picking up starfish on the shore and tossing them back into the ocean. An observer told the starfish thrower that his efforts were basically pointless because there were so many starfish on that stretch of sand, so he couldn’t possibly save them all and what he was doing was not going to make a difference. Unphased by the discouraging comments, the starfish thrower kept walking … [Read more...] about Reflecting the Glow of a Lucky Starfish