exploring life and love with pictures and words
My grandson Luca sings along to Twenty One Pilots’ Stressed Out as I drive. I pick him up after school every Tuesday, giving his mom a break from the south county--north county roundtrip commute. Living with his dad half time in Huntington Beach, Luca has attended school here since he was a little guy in... Continue Reading →
Grief . . . There is no escaping it. All of us will experience a big loss in our lifetime, most of us already have. If we’re lucky we may have time to prepare our hearts for the inevitable passing of someone we love. In other instances we will never see it coming and we’ll... Continue Reading →
“Fa Caldo!” It’s hot! I hear the phrase again and again, as the temperatures along Lake Como have been hovering in the low 90s for days. My cousins and I escape the heat in Mandello, and head for higher ground in Lierna. It’s not significantly cooler, but there is a small pool, a garden hose... Continue Reading →
Once a week I help my grandson with his schoolwork. It’s a tough day, for both of us. He has little interest in Google slides, or prerecorded stories on Youtube read aloud by random teachers. He interrupts my instruction and the videos constantly to tell me about outer space, meteors and solar storms. He wants... Continue Reading →
I lift the dusty lid from the cardboard box revealing envelopes stuffed with photographs and negatives. Neatly stacked upright and mostly organized chronologically, some are marked with brief descriptions, Oregon ’82, Catalina ’89, and others are not marked at all. I’m looking for a particular picture, something from decades ago that I want to post... Continue Reading →
As we gather to celebrate the season we share our stories. In my own life there are so many reasons for joy; good friends, a close-knit family, my precious grandkids, and a healthy mind, body and spirit. Many people in my life have equally good reasons for joy. Their happiness is my happiness. There are... Continue Reading →
My eyelids flutter as sunshine comes into my room. I slowly open them, happy to see a break in the rain. Stretching I reach for my phone to see if Ev has texted me for an early walk, not yet. I scan social media and the first post I see is a beautiful picture of... Continue Reading →
Thanksgiving . . . my favorite holiday This year I will spend it far away from my family, my home, my country. Traditionally, my family cerebrates with everyone gathering at one home, sharing an abundance of delicious food, and always inviting friends, often friends of friends, who need a place to be, to feel included.... Continue Reading →
A light breeze blows through the kitchen of my uncles’ home, a little relief from the hot steam rising above the iron as I press a pair of linen shorts. Looking at my wrinkled line-dried clothes piled on the kitchen chair, I figure about another half hour and I’ll be finished. In the nearly seven... Continue Reading →
Friday afternoon, school is clear of children and teachers. I sit at my desk assessing the neatly organized paper piles laid out before me. I could work a couple more hours or keep the promise I made to myself and go see my son. Quickly scribbling a to do list for Monday, my decision is... Continue Reading →
Bare Naked in Public 