exploring life and love with pictures and words
I walk into the first grade classroom of my newest teacher, her first year. A black line drawing of a turtle, its shell a patchwork of random designs and doodles, is projected on the large screen. Excited and smiling, she skips toward me and beams; It’s a directed art lesson. Across the classroom every desk... Continue Reading →
Looking toward Catalina I see its faint silhouette in the summer haze. I wonder if the French speaking tourists lounging on the sand nearby know there is an island in the distance. To the untrained eye it does resemble a long and low hanging cloud on the horizon. While the skies overhead are beautifully blue,... Continue Reading →
Except for the tiniest bit of dim light coming from the master bath, my bedroom is dark. The soft rustle of sheets as I toss and turn, and my own breathing are the only sounds I hear. I try to lay still, close my eyes and take long slow breaths, counting to four as I... Continue Reading →
Surrounded by opened mail and neatly organized piles of bills and receipts, I sit cross legged on the turquoise sofa. My laptop rests on a pillow in the space between by knees and illuminates my makeshift home office. I click away, reconciling accounts, scheduling payments, and catching up on email. The television provides mindless background... Continue Reading →
Saturday morning I sit sipping my coffee, waiting for Phyllis to join me. Across the small cafe table her black coffee, steam escaping the tiny hole in the cup’s lid, waits too. Within minutes she arrives, flashing her infectious smile. A dear friend, we share a love of love, stories of the heart, the mysteries... Continue Reading →
There is a boy I love. I dreamed of him and what he would be before I ever met him, blonde and blue-eyed, smart and funny, an old soul with the kindest heart I would ever know. Born long before ultra-sounds were common practice or gender reveals became a celebrated event, my boy came into... Continue Reading →
The rusted hinges on the back door groan and stick; making a quiet entry impossible. I am certain my neighbors know exactly when I arrive home each night. I step into the dark house and slide my hand along the wall until I find the light switch, and then close the door behind me. Climbing... Continue Reading →
Light rain falls, red tail lights glow as far as the eye can see, traffic crawls on the 405. A steady low rumble reminds me that I am driving on my spare, a result of a punctured tire the day before. Windshield wipers smear the silty scum across the glass blurring my view, blades need... Continue Reading →
Driving south on Pacific Coast Highway, the four mile stretch between Sunset Beach and Huntington, I take in the beauty of the wetlands and the ocean. On any given day, I can catch a glimpse of a Snowy Egret, Blue Heron, or Pelicans flying in formation. Dogs run and play on the beach, and more... Continue Reading →
A Midwest summer afternoon, the weather report promises a day hotter than yesterday and a good dose of humidity; I happily trade the breezes of southern California beaches for any time spent with my mom’s family, my family in Wisconsin. The garage wide open, decorated with photographs, and crepe paper streamers, my sister Susy and... Continue Reading →
Bare Naked in Public 