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 →
Somewhere between sleep and waking, I float in the periphery of a sweet dream. I want to stay here soaking up its warm light, but the image fades, and peace slips away. A familiar ache creeps into my subconscious and I reluctantly recall the reason for the void I feel. I miss someone. I’m surprised... 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 →
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 →
I wake up long before my alarm, my bladder is in charge these days. I don’t get up right away. Instead I lay in bed and ruminate about those things that are large and looming in the darkness and somehow fade away in the light of day. Shuffling to the bathroom I wonder, why are... Continue Reading →
Happy New Year Friends! It’s been a little more than five years since I created my blog. Using personal stories and photographs I opened a small window into my life and shared it with you, my faithful followers. You responded to my posts with hearts and smily faces and our friendship grew. My blog posts... Continue Reading →
The mail store is busy and I don’t have much time. I’m hoping they have a computer that can read the contents of a CD I received in the mail yesterday. Honestly, who uses these ancient disks anymore. Looking around it’s not clear who is next in line, or if there is a line. People... Continue Reading →
Words with Strangers . . . Words with Friends is my guilty pleasure. It satisfies my psyche on so many levels. My competitive side loves to clobber my opponents. I enjoy banter with friends as they laugh emoji style when they receive my “GRRRRR” messages indicating they are beating me. I’m a terrible loser. I... Continue Reading →
The pier is packed. Spectators six deep watch the finals of the Vans US Open of Surfing below. I wedge myself into the crowd trying to get a glimpse of the last heat. One of the surfers bobs in and out of my view, but I can’t stand on my tiptoes long enough to see... Continue Reading →
Bare Naked in Public 