A DNA Story: Part Two with More Surprises!

Life is beautiful...and full of surprises Dear Friends, It became abundantly clear that my August blog regarding DNA discoveries needed a part two. Key parts of the story were missing (I didn’t want to inundate readers with too much dramatic detail all at once). I'm back to tie up loose ends and share another twist …

Even the Desert Blooms

I recently left the California Coachella Valley just when it was awash in beauty, blossoms, and color.  This phenomenon ~ when the desert is richly carpeted in thousands of wildflowers ~ is called a "Super Bloom". It happens when a late fall monsoon occurs followed by cold temperatures that lock in moisture. These conditions prepare …

Retirement Musings: One Year Later

Dear Friends, Today is 111 and if I count correctly, 376 days have passed since I retired. Lately, I've fired up more than a few cranial neurons silently musing about the journey.  I'm here now in this January 2019 edition of my monthly blog to share with you:  1) what I've learned 2) discuss the …

Helping Each Other up the Mountain

Dear Friends, The other day my friend and I went for a hike. It is my friend's intention to train for a hike at the Grand Canyon in summer 2019 and she wants to make sure that she builds up enough stamina and endurance by then so she's not, in her words, holding anyone back.  Since …

Greeting The Angel Of Aging

Dear Friends, I use the word "greet" with purposeful intent versus applying terms such as "fighting, tackling or confronting aging".  I've also decided to take the phrase "anti-aging" out of my vocabulary. I know where my bread is buttered and who has the upper hand here, and it is not MOI.  The one who holds …

Rays of Light, Rays of Hope (making crises work for us)

Dear Friends, My family members and I are always looking for rays of light in the photos we take. Sometimes the light rays are streaking and peaking through branches of trees; at other times they are luminous emanations splayed from clouds. We like to imagine that the light beams are visitations from our loved ones, …

Travel Meditations: When Heart Speaks to Heart

Dear Friends, How fast this summer has flown.  I've been delayed in getting my blog out because I've been traveling quite a bit:  12 days spent on the east coast and another 12 days in Palm Desert. I've only had a few days in between to get back to a normal routine, if there's anything …

Gremlins, Goblins & Vultures (the saga of the lost golf swing and what matters most)

Dear Friends, I wish my title had more of a positive tone to it, but since I like to make lemonade out of lemons, it gives me a chance to talk about “sour” moments and how I find redemption.  I hesitate to even mention this subject (the lost golf swing) because it seems so trite …

Good Samaritans on the Road of Life

Dear Friends, There were a few incidents of late that led me to reflect on the issue of Good Samaritans appearing in one’s life and making all the difference in the world.   I’ve been chewing on and reflecting upon this subject and trying to bring the scattered seeds of thought together into one cohesive whole …

Ukulele Torture…and Rapture

Dear Friends, Glimpsing into the world of retirement, I mentally listed ways in which  I might challenge myself and seek new adventures in learning.  I like to be a step ahead and set goals and look at the calendar weeks, months in advance. These attributes or shall I say “habits” of looking at past, present …