You Never Know What Life Will Bring: A DNA story

Dear Friends: I have a fascinating story to share, but I'm going to let my guest writer do the talking here!  I am honored that "Matt", a close relative, agreed to tell his story.   The names are changed to protect privacy, and identities are blotted out in accompanying photos.  When I became estranged from a …

FAITH IS GREATER THAN FEAR

Dear Friends, I stepped off a plane on Friday May 29 anxious to see my family and new grandson who was born Sunday March 22. Jamey was growing fast and I couldn't wait to meet him before he started high school, ha ha. San Francisco International Airport was like a ghost town - I felt …

Life is Change; Change is Life

"Sometimes the changes that we don't want are the changes we need to grow." - Anonymous Dear Friends, It was late December and obstinate winter had settled in.  Darkness wrapped itself tightly around my being causing me to want to curl up into a cocoon, and not wake up until spring. 😆 That is... until …

Introducing the 2020 Ultimate Cleanse!

Dear Friends, Going through a recent move got me thinking about what an ultimate cleanse might look like. In general, participating in cleanses or fasting is not my thing, unless forced into it by a colonoscopy appointment 🙀 and then I go into a mini meltdown because I can't stand the idea of not eating …

JUST FOR TODAY

"Just for today, I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful, and to believe that as I give to the world, so the world will give to me."      (Alanon "Just for Today" Bookmark) Recently I came across a sign in a sporting goods store that said:  "Just …

The Bliss and Blessings of Five Mile Hikes

Dear Friends, I left the wildflowers and super bloom of the Coachella Valley in late February to spend some time in the San Francisco Bay Area. It was tax time; therefore, it was my task to not only get my taxes done but to get them done for my Mother.  So, why not stay awhile …

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 …

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 …