My mom died on February 4, 2023. Though she’d been declining over the past three years, when she left us it felt like a devastating earthquake, complete with aftershocks. Six weeks later, my sister organized a gathering Mom would have enjoyed: a garden party and lunch with her inner circle of dear friends. She arranged … Continue reading Sharing Stories Only You Can Tell
Keeping Things Simple & Sunday Soups
We’re keeping things simple this season. It’s December 15 and we haven’t yet finished decorating our house for Christmas. The tree is up and lit, as it has been for about two weeks, but no decorations. We’ve hung wreaths outdoors and in. Our year-round home decor is green, and with candles burning in the kitchen … Continue reading Keeping Things Simple & Sunday Soups
Efficiency Isn’t Everything
Society tells us to move faster and get more done. And when your To-Do list seems longer than Santa’s Nice and Naughty list, that’s tempting. Sure, some tasks can be done quickly and crossed off. And you could give yourself the gift of more time by crossing a few undone tasks off your list. Other … Continue reading Efficiency Isn’t Everything
Add De-Light
Our Christmas lights went up the weekend before Thanksgiving, earlier than ever before. I noticed that a few neighbors had lights up and my heart sang in response. Holiday lights added delight and I wanted more. I also noticed that I couldn’t open a single email that had Thanksgiving in the subject line. As a … Continue reading Add De-Light
It’s My Birthday!
It’s my birthday! Well, when I wrote this yesterday it was my birthday... So how about a birthday introduction? I love a good celebration, but I don’t enjoy being the sudden center of attention (spotlight = okay only when I choose it, thank you very much). The year I turned 7, I asked friends not … Continue reading It’s My Birthday!
Resilience
A tree in our neighborhood speaks to me of resilience. Its roots had grown under the fence so that they had to cut space for them, yet its canopy had withered. They called a tree company to cut it down. I always hate to see a tree go, but they didn’t cut it down completely. … Continue reading Resilience
Why Smile?
To make eye contact and smile is a kind of prayer, and it changes you. - Anne Lamott Lamott’s quote about the power of smiling has been on my mind most mornings when I walk my dogs past others in our neighborhood: the gaggle of women, the power pairs, the man who limps alongside his … Continue reading Why Smile?
End of Summer Reading 2022
Happy Fall! Question: Do you read front-to-back, cover-to-cover, or ... (small gasp) ... do you peek at the back page before you've finished? Up until the pandemic when I became an avid Kindle reader, I regularly flipped to the back page before its time. I'd get a few chapters in, so I had a sense … Continue reading End of Summer Reading 2022
This Week’s Skies…
Look, up at the sky. There is a light, a beauty up there, that no shadow can touch. - TolkienOnly from the heart can you touch the sky. - Rumi Last week was so blazing hot that I hid indoors as much as possible. With this week’s cooler temps, I found my way back outdoors. … Continue reading This Week’s Skies…
What you seek is seeking you.
Many of us make pursuit a way of life. We have chief pursuits and frivolous ones. We pursue relationships, goals, and careers while on the side pursuing leisure activities, hobbies, or passion projects. We pursue wealth and financial freedom, perhaps like a predator pursuing prey. We entertain ourselves with movies and true crime podcasts in … Continue reading What you seek is seeking you.