Gratitude for Pleasures Great and Small

The house is still, and those most precious to me are sleeping soundly, nestled in the warmth of their beds. Pup, too, is fast asleep. As I move softly in the early dawn to kiss sweet foreheads, pup’s gentle snore offers reassurance that all is in its rightful place. Rain had poured through the night, […]

Shattered Glass

I can hear the brittle jangle of shattering of glass in my mind as I listen. I flinch inside, imagining a cascade of broken shards beneath delicate feet. So poised and careful, she enunciates each word with precision; she creates a flawless collage with each utterance. I listen carefully, astutely following her voice, the tight […]

Roses in the Kitchen, Seashells in the Bath

The new year is settling in around me, or it may be more the case that I am slowly settling into the embrace of the fledgling year’s ephemeral days. This first month has brought an abundance of warm, almost summery days, and these past weeks have found me savoring more than a few lunch hour […]

Love Until It Hurts

As we drive to San Francisco under crystal winter skies, the talk is of everything things. The pedestrian to-do lists keep the painful thoughts at bay. The traffic is easy and gentle for a Saturday afternoon. As familiar Sonoma County landmarks transition into Marin’s, cars whiz by against a backdrop of bucolic hillsides; it seems […]

My Heart Will Not Stop Here

It is an intoxicatingly beautiful early June morning. As I walk up the pathway, the cool breeze of dawn caresses my bare arms. The soft light filtering through the trees bathes me in its gentle glow. The birds sing sweetly—ever so strident yet melodious—and I feel their music waft through me. A woodpecker pecks staccato […]

The Spillway of Life

The early morning sun gently prods me as I snuggle in bed relishing thoughts of the day ahead. The pure, delicate air of the gentle morning whispers through the open window above my head. I slip from the warm covers slowly, for my body still aches slightly from a passing flu. Not one to be […]

The Sweetest of Mothers

Dressed in elegant black evening attire (shades of classic Audrey Hepburn in ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s?), I stopped to visit my mother on my way to a holiday event. Although her ability to communicate verbally has been diminished by a series of strokes, her eyes sparkled more brightly than the rhinestone jewels at my neck. A […]

You Can Put On The Brakes Any Time You Want, Baby!

Just a few weeks ago, on a gorgeous weekend evening, a dear friend and I took a walk at Spring Lake, one of the countless natural treasures in our area. His waif-like, golden-haired daughter led the excursion on her pink and black bicycle equipped with training wheels. She recently began learning to ride a bicycle, […]

If I Had a Boat

It is a delicately warm June morning. The cool sheets are soft and silky against my skin. I nuzzle my head into the pillow pretending for a moment that I might fall back asleep. I laugh into the morning sunlight knowing that, with daylight breaking, I will be still for only a few seconds. The […]

Full Moon Waning

As the full moon that graced the skies this past Monday wanes, I am reminded that life’s processes do the same. This past Monday, I held a ‘Full Moon Celebration’ for a women’s support group that I offer each week. Our Northern California skies had been filled with unexpected rain. Throughout the day I cast […]