exploring life and love with pictures and words
I warm my hands on the doubled up paper cup of steeping tea, and people watch. Two young men discuss yesterday’s surf over coffee. The bearded one catches my eye and lowers his voice. I hear a whisper of a woman's name and look away, pretending I was not eavesdropping. In the center of the... Continue Reading →
The coffee shop empties as the morning shift locals make their exit, and the noise level quiets to a low hum. Staring into space, I absentmindedly click the end of my pen against my chin. I’m searching my brain’s thesaurus for an adjective to describe a snort, the laughing kind. Loud comes to mind, but... 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 →
It’s his birthday. He passed away a few weeks ago, still I peruse his Facebook page to read the birthday wishes. His childhood friends, family, and others who have followed his difficult ten year journey express missing him and wish him a heavenly birthday. I smile knowing he is finally at peace. I read on... Continue Reading →
Driving south on Pacific Coast Highway, the sun shines and I listen to The Moth Radio Hour. The storyteller reminisces about a Christmas homecoming after his first semester of college. He and his mom, too poor to buy presents, decide to cut pictures from magazines, images of gifts they would have given one another if... 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 →
We sit on barstools at the counter facing the large open window to Main Street’s foot traffic. Juice from the fish taco I’m devouring runs past my wrist and down my arm, I catch it with a napkin. You haven’t touched your quesadilla, but you have nearly finished your fries. I try to coax you... Continue Reading →
Hello Friends, I was recently interviewed by my friends Sarah and Mia of The Kindred Voice for their podcast The Kindred Convos. I’ve received a lot of positive feedback so I thought I would share the interview here on my blog. If you’re looking for a little inspiration, this podcast may be for you. :-)... Continue Reading →
A friend sent me a message asking if I would participate in the latest social media challenge. All I had to do was post a black and white photograph of myself, tag her and nominate another woman to do the same. The purpose? To support, empower and celebrate women. Easy enough. I could have chosen... Continue Reading →
Bare Naked in Public 