The Shiny Butter Blog

16 December 2025 Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog Outer peace through inner peace The thing is, Reader... It feels like every day is trying to out-crazy the day before it—and that it's getting worse! It's as though people are more unhinged than ever, more gullible, more angry, more violent, more unfair and divisive, meaner, dumber, number, and on and on. It's certainly not difficult to see the world this way. I have a theory The world has always been the...

4 November 2025 Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog Dare to feel good! Shiny greetings, Reader, Just as it's important that we keep our brain from rusting shut, it's important to keep our body from doing the same. The problem is, keeping our body oiled can feel like a chore. Big ugh. No one needs another thing we have to do. I have a better idea. You see, our body feels like it's rusting because it basically is at some point—we don't move as much as we did...

28 October 2025 Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog Reach for what's real I'm sure you've heard this before, Reader, ...that we're spiritual beings having a physical experience. This makes sense to me. However! I detect an assumption that the physical part is the lesser half of being a "spiritual being having a human experience." And my hot take on that: There's some of that "physical is less than spiritual" assumption in people reaching for enlightenment or...

5 August 2025 Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog I stole that, Reader, "Live dangerously, live lovingly." Well, I didn't exactly steal it—it's more like I borrowed it. I borrowed it from Tom Robbins, author of the novels Jitterbug Perfume,* Another Roadside Attraction,* Even Cowgirls Get the Blues,* and a bunch more. Robbins, who passed away earlier this year (in February) spoke those words in a commencement speech back in the 1900s, as the kids say. The...

15 July 2025—Come look around with me Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog Shiny greetings, Reader, I took a long country drive the other week to pick up something two and a half hours away. It was one of the hottest days lately. Even with a/c in the car it was rough out there. But I loved it. That's because I love driving through the countryside in eastern North Carolina and look forward to every opportunity. Give me a local road over a bypass any day. I love...

8 July 2025 Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog Hey, hey, Reader, The year was 1969, I was six-years-old, and there sat my first-grade classmates and I, circled up in our little bitty chairs having a very serious discussion. Our teacher had been reading a picture book to us but stepped away, so we, at the risk of ruining the story for ourselves, grabbed the book and started looking ahead. What we found shocked us to our core! We were concerned and confused!...

1 July 2025 Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog Signs of Life—real, hands-on life Coming to our senses, literally... plus, a giant new playlist for you 🎵 Just a beautiful little miracle of sunlight I saw the other day A Big ol' playlist from Coco—Click to go to spotify: Fly Robin Fly • citizencoco Fly Robin Fly • Silver Conve... PREVIEW Hey there, Reader, I doubt anyone named Al laughs at the wisecracks I'm pretty sure they get about "AI." I sure would get...

Think of something good. Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog 17 June 2025 We all want the same thing... I think. I hope. A manifesto. In today's email Announcement!! Quote of the Week We All Want the Same Thing... I Think. I Hope. You May Also Like: Note about these emails and AI Follow and Share Announcement! Here's the Summer MEGA Sale for Coaching I want to reach and talk to as many people as I can right now because times are weird and I have time to talk....

Warning: mangled frizz ahead Talk and Tales from Coco, Optimist in Charge at The Shiny Butter Blog 10 June 2025 curly hair as a metaphor What to do when you look like Roseanne Rosannadanna In today's email Quote of the Week Curly Hair as a Metaphor Note About AI More Shiny Things Follow and Share Quote of the Week Play the hand you're dealt like it's the one you wanted. Anonymous Curly-headed greetings, Reader, My mom was a hairdresser before she had me back in ye olden days of 1963. (Fun...