Love, Hate, & Everything In-Between
Sometimes holiday get togethers can be a bit sticky. Siblings and children arrive from far corners. Logs burn. Alcohol soothes. A lethargic atmosphere loosens the tongue…
A Fireside Chat
The fog enshrouded woods outside my window brings a melancholy reminder of my own mortality. I respond by drawing the drapes and sitting in front of…
God in the Details– Random Apologies and the Soul
What is it there about an apology? Today I opened my email and there it was, a totally random note of apology for a long-ago…
Ten Ways to Stay Married that Don’t Involve Dieting or Dressing Up
My swimming coach said something today that made me think. “What we’re doing here is The Impossible and making it Fun!” I got what she…
Spring & the Zen of Gardening
It took moving to Oregon to finally understand the meaning of spring. In the area of California where I used to live, the days start getting warm in February….
Some Quick Thoughts on Writing Before I Forget Them
I’m reading Thomas Moore’s little book, Meditations. One of those gems that delivers a bolt of enlightenment on every page. Like Anne Lamott if she were a…
Stylist Wars
I know better than to be late for a hair appointment. After all, those ladies have to make a living, too. So if I had followed…
15 Lessons About Playing Solitaire
Every writer I know plays Solitaire while they’re waiting for inspiration or coming down from the natural high of being “in the zone.” It occurred…
Writing With George
On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time. – George Orwell I found this quote…
Our Grandmothers, Ourselves
This is an excerpt from Branches on the Conejo: Leaving the Soil After Five Generations, my memoir celebrating life in (then) the rural Southern California community…