My beloved and I went to Alaska earlier this month on our honeymoon. It was glorious. If you have the time and the means, and any interest in wildlife, native Alaskan culture, or gorgeous scenery in cooler temperatures, I strongly encourage you to book a trip to Alaska sometime between June and September. During our travels we witnessed so much[…]
On The Relief of Being Ordinary…
Aren’t we tired? Aren’t we all tired of our quest to be extraordinary? The need to make one’s mark in a world full of people who are also trying to make their marks is exhausting. There are myriad self help books on our night stands, only half read because we tell ourselves we cannot possibly achieve what this book says[…]
On What’s In a Name?
I changed my name. Why? The first assumption made by casual acquaintances and people who didn’t know me before 1984 was that I had gotten married. “I just noticed your new email signature. I guess congratulations are in order!” But, of course that’s not what happened. I guess it would be more correct to say I changed my name back[…]
On Living in Your Hands…
Live in your hands and your mind will learn to bow like a root. – Mark Nepo In his devotional called Live in Your Hands (Nepo), the author describes the difference in living too much in your head and not enough in the real life activity of living. He tells a short story about a man who, so distraught after[…]
On the Path to Peace…
I’ve heard the phrase “protect your peace” tossed around in self-development circles. It sounds good, but protecting my peace makes it seem like I have it hidden away somewhere, behind lock and key, where no one can get to it. That’s no way to live. I consider myself a nice person. I hold doors for people. I say, “thank[…]
Bravery 101 – Getting Out of the Comfort Zone.
I had a company holiday party to attend this weekend. A holiday party I not only had to attend but plan and execute, as well. This is the first party in my new job, and the boss said he wanted the dress “semi formal.” The guest list was nearly 300 people, including our board of directors. A month ago I[…]
A Year Ago…
A year ago, I never saw sunrises like this. A year ago, on November 17, 2018, my dear friend David Gray died. I was still heavily mourning the death of my mother four months earlier, a loss so devastating I felt I hadn’t taken a breath since she took her last. I was still in mourning for my beloved heartdog[…]
Fifteen Days Ago….
Fifteen days ago, I drank this beer in a fantastic little bar in Cozumel, Mexico, Dick’s Dive. My beloved and I had arrived earlier that day and were looking forward to a full week of fun, relaxation and a couple more dozen of these. Let’s go back a bit. Over the past year, I have been aware of my drinking.[…]
NOW, Voyager
This poem is a favorite of mine. I was first introduced to it as a preteen, when I discovered old movies with the help of my mother. I loved everything old Hollywood, the black and whites of the early years of cinema. Those old films transported me to exotic places I could never have imagined and introduced me to glamorous[…]
134.0 Pounds
This is the weight I was this morning. Last Wednesday I was 129.3. The week before that it was 133.2. For the last 5 years I have gone up and down between 128 and 135, struggling for that illusive 125 pound mark I had randomly decided was my goal. Ten years ago, I weighed 150 pounds. 150 pounds is at[…]