How to receive your heart’s desire — I drive a short distance in the mornings to a charming 1760 inn that is now a restaurant and events venue. I leave the car at the back of the ample parking area, empty at that time of day, to enjoy walking the country roads in the vicinity. As I…

What I learned from ‘the mask argument’ — The mango lady taught me the most important lesson of the pandemic. No, it wasn’t about the best masks to wear or the ideal hand sanitizer with the correct percentage of alcohol or how to Zoom with breakout rooms. …

Looking back on twelve weeks with The 1619 Project — I looked forward to finishing my coursework with The 1619 Project. I savored the sense of satisfaction with the completion of a goal and a noteworthy one at that. I also hoped to free up some additional reading and writing time. However, the end of this coursework became the beginning…

The spaghetti squash incident and surviving the unexpected — Hiss. The oven is sending out an SOS. I open the door to see the spaghetti squash, which I bake whole, dripping some liquid from its insides onto the bottom of the oven. This has never happened before. I must have overcooked it. Oh well. …

An Energy Lesson on Love — I got a phone call. “Debbie doll, you were right! You’ll never guess what happened!” This was my grandmother, some years ago. She used to call me Debbie doll. I miss that. “What happened?” “Well, yesterday I was out riding on my scooter to the senior center when it tipped…

On projection, gaslighting, and raising children — I was woken up one night with the following words and felt them important enough to sit up, turn the light on, grab a pen and paper, and write them down. You can’t see the reflection because of the projection. The next day I ruminated on this message. Projection is…

How a small mouse and a little dog led to a big lesson. — I had just dropped off a package to a friend who lives in a large condominium complex. I knew she would not be home, and we had agreed that I would leave it inside her screen door. I head back to my car, open the door, start the engine, and…

For the children and the flowers — At my sister’s on Christmas Day we started talking about American singer-songwriter John Denver. Seeing him in concert years ago inspired by brother-in-love to get a 12-string acoustic guitar and start playing and singing. Naturally, John Denver songs are among his favorites and especially at gigs. We sat around the…

All things both great and small — I spied a butterfly sitting on my deck. I went to look closer and saw it struggle, unable to take off. Was it hurt or just stunned from a crash landing, perhaps? I dribble a little water from the watering can nearby in case it’s thirsty. It sidesteps away. Then…