Age is just a number…a demarcation that allows those who like to put things in categories a means to do so. If I stop to think how old I am, I might pause and say—Really? How did that happen!?! But honestly, I do not think about how old or how young I am. I think about how I feel. How I feel is something I can determine. Continue reading “Ageless: Lessons from Ida and Esther” »
> BlogApr
28
Consider the Bait
Growing up I had a brother who always fished. He could stare at a lake, a pond, a river for hours on end with a fishing pole attached at the end of his hand. I never understood the fascination, the patience, or desire to fish. Nor did I understand the fish who finally came biting. Could they not see that easy food was attached to something much more insidious? Maybe they could, but they just could not help themselves. Continue reading “Consider the Bait” »
Apr
27
Culture…Creating Community in Curious Places
Culture is often defined through the definition of exposure to that which raises our intellect, that which makes us greater in knowledge and understanding of the finer things in life. Think opera, think great classics, think the Louvre. Whatever it is that springs to mind, set it aside. Continue reading “Culture…Creating Community in Curious Places” »
Apr
25
Illuminate like the Full Moon
For as much as I proclaim myself a sunshine girl—someone constantly seeking the energy of the solar illuminations—I cannot deny how much the moon speaks to me. To be more precise, the full moon. Like the one hanging down the street right now even in the early morning hours. The one that slips through the shuttered slates over my bed and begged for me to come out and play…like a childhood friend tossing a rock to the window, getting my attention, wanting my presence. Continue reading “Illuminate like the Full Moon” »
Apr
24
Come on…Splash Around!
I loved the advice I was given by my friend Marisa who helped me learn to swim. She said if I want to get better, to improve, to get more comfortable I needed to just get in the water—at least three times a week. Even if I just splashed around. I have taken that advice to heart. Perhaps a little too much. Every time I go to the pool I say I’m just there to splash around. If I actually swim good laps, well that is a bonus. Continue reading “Come on…Splash Around!” »
Apr
23
Mending our Way Through
I have never been very deft with a sewing machine or thread and needle, but I do appreciate the talents of those who are. My friend Michiko can sew anything and everything. I wanted a zipper in my backpack for my hike—done. I wanted my classes to have eye pillows—made. She has created countless neck warmers, multitudes of baby blankets, and for her grandchildren on Halloween—elaborate costumes of choice. She impresses me with her talents but she reminds me with her wisdom that when life tears you apart, you can mend…a little bit at a time. Continue reading “Mending our Way Through” »
Apr
22
Finding our Cadence
As we all head into a new week—a week that starts marking anniversaries of significant events, we may remark on the way tragedies effect us, how mysteries surround us, how moments can change us. But a new week is also another time to find our feet on more steady ground, to find our arms open a little wider, and our hearts a bit more accepting. That is what it is like when we find the rhythm that carries us forward. Sometimes runners call that finding their cadence, their pace for handling the long miles, the tough race, the bad run days. We find our cadence and we keep running. Continue reading “Finding our Cadence” »
Apr
21
Getting Past the Allergies
As a kid, my pal was a tom-boy named Buffy. She was tough—in attitude and in acumen. She could beat the boys on the kick ball field as easily as in the math olympics. The older me realizes that I looked up to her but the younger me just wanted to be her. I wanted Buffy’s blond hair, her blue eyes, her sharp tongue and her fast legs. I even wanted her allergies. She was allergic…to everything, or so it seemed. Before the days of ubiquitous peanut allergies, lactose intolerance, and celiac disease, Buffy stood out as someone special—right down to her diet. As an eight year old I would have killed to have one of these allergies. It made her that much grander in my eyes. Continue reading “Getting Past the Allergies” »
Apr
20
Come, Gather…Perch on the Porch
I have always liked the saying, happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have. That noted, I must admit I always maintained a coveted desire for a front porch. I would look longingly at well crafted front porches of Victorian homes or farm houses and think—I would be so happy if I had a porch. The books I could read on that porch. The stories I could write on that porch. To sip my coffee on that front porch would make every morning better. I would welcome evening more joyously on a front porch. For all the solo perching on a porch I imagined, I did not realize that the real enticement of a porch is how it brings people together. Continue reading “Come, Gather…Perch on the Porch” »