Grounds for Humility

Surplus Vases.  Contingency Planning: The Coward’s “Virtue”“We need another vase,” I said to my sister-in-law. “I’ll poke around and see what I can find.” I scanned the cabinets in her mother-in-law’s kitchen, looking for a vessel that we could commandeer to hold flowers.   There. That glass pitcher will do.  Hmmm. We can use that […]


To Engage with Wonder

Dove in Snag. The Incredible Sweetness of Being, Part ElevenRounding a curve on our skinny canyon road, we come upon the stopped SUV, its left hip jutting into the roadway. Rich pulls up alongside and I roll down my window: “Did you break down? Do you need a push?” I point to the wide spot in the shoulder […]


How’s Work?

My Husband: Leader of the Pack. Changes at work can create upheaval, leaving staff feeling devalued and functionally hogtied. Changes at work can also empower staff with new efficiencies, freeing more time for key tasks. As operations manager at a small investment advisory firm, I help identify and execute changes. I minimize the upheaval and […]


You Can’t Always get What You Want, Part One

Feasting at Dorita’s House, Fifteen Years Later.  The Nemesis Sandwich: Pain Coco “Come on!” Dorita said, “we have to get to Tavana‘s (governor’s) house to pick up our pain coco (coconut bread)!” I slipped on my flip-flops and followed my hostess down the path that led to the gravel road circling our island. We’d been waiting […]


Restoring the Lamps, Part Two

Lamps Under Renovation. Protection It’s Saturday morning and the day overflows with what-could-be. I clear the remnants of yesterday’s living from the kitchen island, make space for a project. My project. I’m going to return these old lamps to usefulness. Rich will supervise, of course, because I’ve never rewired a lamp before. He assures me it’s […]