I have been busy packing and planning for my first trip to Europe. I’ve made lists and more lists; lists for me and lists for my hubby. There are more lists for my children and the person who will be staying with them while we are away. This morning, as I was thinking about this trip and the numerous items … Read More
When Life Sucks…
A person who is lamenting the detachment and isolation of his son just said to me, “It’s okay.” I’ll never forget when I spoke those same words to one of my customers, in the early months after my son died. “It’s okay,” I’d say to people, who would usually say some variation of, “Yes, it’s going to be okay,” or … Read More
Webs of Joy
“Why don’t we ever decorate for Halloween?” That question by my youngest, nearly five years ago, was the beginning of an annual October party. It spawned a collection of ghoulish decorations and home accent pieces that include a life-sized Sleeping Beauty witch, her outstretched hand offering visitors a shiny red apple… Yesterday, as I drove home from work, the Halloween … Read More
Happy Happens™
Happy Happens.™ Just like the proverbial shit happens, happy happens.™ Short and sweet, happiness is little more than a collection of the simple moments that bring a smile to your face, instances that surround all of us each and every day. Beautiful, soothing, or heartwarming moments that exist in both your “glory days” and within the crevices and … Read More
Life in a Nutshell, Part 1
I’m going to live to ninety-six-years of age. Well, just shy of it, anyway. How do I know this? You ask. Because I’m turning forty-eight this December. And I think I’ve been experiencing the epic, Mid-Life Crisis. No, after scanning through this article found upon a quick, online search, I know I’m symptomatic: Unhappiness. Boredom. Need for change. Questioning past … Read More
Connecting Dots
I’ve been in a deep funk these past few weeks. I’ve been trying to make a post for five days now. My frustrations have mounted as I haven’t been able to log in with the new version of Blogger. I keep getting a “Runtime…ie8” error message. Anyway, I finally tried logging in through IE today, instead of going through my … Read More
On Spiritual Paradox
Two days ago I watched an interview with Marcy Borders on The View. Marcy is a survivor of 9/11 and the woman whom was captured in the now-iconic photo, “Dust Lady,” on the day of the heinous attacks on our country. As a means of coping with the shock of the event, Marcy succumbed to alcohol and drugs, which led … Read More
A Pretty Side of Peril
As I write, Hurricane Irene is fizzling out, southerners are accessing the damage, and northerners will soon be following in their footsteps. We are far enough North that only the storm’s outer bands have reached us. The wind outside my home is blowing branches and hurling raindrops. But in spite of the gray skies, the chime on my deck rings … Read More
Minding Weeds
This summer’s northeast weather has been ideal for weed growth. A wet spring followed by a record-setting heat wave. Thankfully, I only have a couple of areas I plant, and those are filled with low-maintenance, perennials. Who has time to toil in a garden, when they are working, raising a family, tending a house, and running a business? Certainly not … Read More