We moved to Venice, CA, when we left the desert. On our second day in our new city, I saw a woman on a bike in the middle lane of traffic. She was probably in her sixties. One pant leg rolled to reveal blue and white striped knee socks, her curly gray hair secured in…
Our peach, plum, and apricot trees survived their second summer. The green of their leaves is battling it out with the encroaching brown, and the cutter moths have done some damage, but the trees have officially made it. They are growing, alive, and in a few weeks, they will thrive, insects and triple-digit temperatures at bay.…
Trains are most vulnerable when they switch tracks. Smooth locomotive change is a science of measurement and timing with little room for error. Human track transitions are trial and error. Rarely executed gracefully. It is a fact that the world keeps moving whether we hop over like Gene Kelly or face plant into a…
My efforts to simplify my life have somehow touched a nerve. As I continue to reduce my “stuff” and practice conscious consumerism, I’m faced with the fact that I may be buying things in response to issues that have nothing to do with always having an extra mascara or stocking up on black socks…
We leave for Amsterdam in the morning. My seventeen year old thinks she’s going to get stoned with her parents. Isn’t she cute? How do you say, “Not in this lifetime,” in Dutch? We will be gone for a week in our attempt to see as many of Van Gogh’s paintings as possible. I’ve…
Poke is raw tuna cut into small cubes and mixed with different spices. My current favorite is dynamite because it has avocado. It’s a big deal in Hawaii and we have eaten it for lunch pretty much every day since we arrived on Kona. It’s delicious and so fresh here. But there are other restaurants,…
We don’t have any doors in our house. None. A little over a month ago we decided to upgrade the doors. As is often the plan when Michael and I get an idea, we bulldozed right in and decided to replace them all. We’ve been in our house over eight years, they were nasty when we…
Just imagine if we could all be ourselves. I’m not sure we wouldn’t kill each other, but no doubt we would let out a collective sigh of relief. The expectations of others is only outdone by the expectations we put on ourselves. The pressure can be immense. I feel like one of the bennies of…
I’ve always loved a new year…well, a new anything for that matter. When I was in school I loved new notebooks or new school clothes. As I get older I love new cars or a new purse…I really love a new purse. All opportunities to get rid of the old stains or used pages. New…