Writer, Speaker, Editor, Blogger
Years ago, I traveled to New Mexico each year to teach at a writing conference. One year, as the plane banked for landing, the woman next to me sighed and said, “Isn’t it beautiful!” I managed a nod, but what I saw was bleak, barren, dusty, reddish-brown desert. Conversely, she saw the beauty of a […]
Several weeks ago, my husband and I attended Italian Renaissance Alive at Biltmore in Asheville, NC. It was a multi-sensory, immersive experience. The main room included smells of the time period and brightly-colored paintings on the walls and floor. Some of the paintings also included motion, which added a new dimension. It was interesting to […]
Last week, my husband and I slipped away for some time together to celebrate our anniversary. Several times, I observed a family in the hotel restaurant. It didn’t take long to hear the dad “riding” the two children with loud reprimands about the amount of food on their plates, their slowness in eating, spillage, and […]
For the last few months, I’ve dreamed colorful dreams and remembering those dreams the next morning. Sometimes, those dreams linger all day and pick up again that night. I’m sure abundant research exists about why we dream and what dreams mean, but here is my take on how dreaming affects me. Dreams Change Perspective We’ve […]
Last week, as I prepared a snack basket for a friend’s family to enjoy following a celebration of life, I listened to Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor. It was what happened to be playing on Symphony Hall that day at that time. Although I’d heard the piece before, I suddenly noticed many sections end in […]
This week, we learn the results of one of the most contentious elections in our country’s history. No matter who wins national, state, and local elections, changes will occur. Some people will embrace those changes. Others will view them with discouragement, distrust, and feelings of defeat. Constant change is prevalent in many areas of life. […]
Early on a bright, calm Sunday morning, the mirror on my dresser began to vibrate. The vibration intensified, coupled with rocking noise, as the mirror visibly flapped in its holders. The pulls on other furniture jangled as items danced across the top. Were my eyes and ears accurate, or was I having some sort of […]
The last few weeks have been fraught with frustration. Actually, this year has been fueled by one frustration after another. Delays, miscommunications, waiting, too much to juggle at once, and nonexistent customer service top my frustration list. How about you? What are your greatest sources of frustration? In thinking through some of the challenges of […]
To appreciate means to understand the worth, quality, or significance of; to elevate in value; to judge with heightened perception or understanding; to recognize with gratitude. Yet, often, we don’t appreciate what we have, or the people we know and love, until circumstance change. Following are thoughts on appreciating now: Tomorrow Isn’t a Given Early […]
Last year, my daughter experienced a sudden, critical health crisis. Despite rapid treatment, a significant vision deficit resulted. Over the next weeks and months, she navigated limitations and learned ways around them. In the process, other senses sharpened and she cultivated reliance on multiple stimuli for compensation and perception. Following are some insights regarding vision: […]