I have been binge watching Nadia Caterina Munno, the Pasta Queen. She is incredibly passionate about Italian food. Her show is a treat alternating from places in Italy to her kitchen in Florida. She is smart, funny, and spicy. What a personality! I love watching and listening to her.
Category: inspiration
Spring Break Artifacts
It is my last couple of days on spring break. I’ve slept late, ate good food, written poems about food, and took long walks capturing the beauty I saw with my camera. I am trying to do things that nourish me, that uplift me, that help to better understand my purpose. The sunshine and warm weather has definitely lifted my spirits, and I hope I have absorbed enough of its healing energy to bring back north to our muddy March season.
A Much-Needed Spring Break
Thank goodness for spring break. Thank goodness I have the next two weeks to recover and regroup. I desperately need two weeks to bide my time until spring arrives. I am taking seven steps get back in health again.
Mindfulness in Teaching: Be Where Your Feet Are
The author, Suzanne Dailey, noted that she and her girlfriends play a game called “Where are your fee?” in which they send each other photos of their feet to check in with each other about what they are doing and how they are feeling. This game helps each person consider where they are in the present moment. It helps them reflect and shift their attention. It’s a gentle reminder to “Be where your feet are.”
Sew Easy: A Heartfelt Journey
Many things that my mother loved, I love - teaching, making art, reading, eating cheese and crackers, putting on bright lipstick, and sewing. My mother was an amazing seamstress and dress designer well before she had kids and became a teacher. She would hold a piece of fabric in her hand, fold it, cut it without a pattern, and make something wonderful to wear. She had a gift, and it was magical.
February Snow
On a recent trek to the park, I watched families sled down a small but slick slope. It was fun to see parents cheering on their children. One little girl with bright pink cheeks had a death grip on the edges of her snow disc as she screamed all the way down the hill. She ran back up shouting, “That was TERRIFYING! Let’s do it again!”
One Last Pearl of Wisdom
Since the moment I met my mother-in-law, we talked about books. We would speak of various characters as if we had actually met them and knew them like we knew family. I loved that about her. She was always exposing me to ideas and events that were new to me. She used books as breadcrumbs to show me the way and expand my thinking.
Sitting With Darkness
Now, she’s gone, and I’m trying to find my way in the wake of this darkness. How do I walk on towards old age? How do I live fully with joy and optimism while holding pain and anxiety at bay?
One Little Word – Zest, 2025
I keep thinking about the perfect word as my touchstone for 2025. In the past, I’ve chosen: remember, purpose, and settle. Those are important words and they kept me set on a definite path the last three years. This year, I searched for a word that would reflect who I am now at the beginning of 2025, at the precipice of my 69th year.
Christmas Tree Memories
The one symbol of Christmas that I have always loved is the Christmas tree. I loved the anticipation of buying it and bringing it home, decorating it, and watching it light up the winter darkness. To tell the truth, I didn't really even care much for the presents. The tree was present enough for me.
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 