April 11, 2026 Waking to the sounds of birds outside my open window is deeply soothing. I am in the “treetops” room at the Porches in Norwood, Virginia for another writing retreat with Wellspring Writing Collective. I don’t recall being here for a spring writing retreat before. I think I have only been here inContinue reading “Rest, Reset, Retreat”
Category Archives: meditation
This too, shall pass!
February 1, 2026 The Richmond area has turned into a giant ice sheet and there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. For over a week I have been mostly stuck at home. School systems all around are closed and many businesses are still operating on reduced hours. My job as a school librarianContinue reading “This too, shall pass!”
Snow Day!
December 5, 2025 The fluffy white boughs of the nandina outside my window bend and bounce as sparrows shift position, snuggling next to each other for warmth. The scarlet berries stand in contrast to the muted grays and browns of the late fall landscape. My cat Lily is entranced by the snow, the birds andContinue reading “Snow Day!”
Digging My Ditches
March 26, 2023 Each March for the past 17 years, I have found a cool weekend to turn over the soil in my tiny garden, add some compost and plant lettuce and a few other “cold crops.” Truly, I end up spending several sessions just weeding and breaking up the soil before the planting everContinue reading “Digging My Ditches”
Spring may be my favorite season.
March 14, 2023 Spring may be my favorite season. There are things I enjoy about each temperature change and the varied foliage and activities that come with each of the seasons in Virginia, but there is something magical about the longer hours of daylight and the new growth that awakens each Spring. Part of meContinue reading “Spring may be my favorite season.”
Mindful Walk in the Park
February 22, 2023 This afternoon I took a mindful walk around the lake at a park near my school. It was an unusually warm February day and I wanted a bit of exercise, but quickly my focus shifted to the sounds and smells around me. It was blustery so there was a gentle whooshing soundContinue reading “Mindful Walk in the Park”
Beach Rituals
I came to the beach this weekend for a writing retreat. Any day at the beach is a better day than inland, but this has been a particularly chilly and windy weekend. Fortunately, we rented a large house on the water, so the views are amazing even if the air is bracing outside. Nonetheless, IContinue reading “Beach Rituals”
Gathering Energy
January 1, 2023 As I sat in meditation this morning, I was captivated by the buds forming on the tree outside my window. They have been there for months, but somehow, I hadn’t really noticed them. I love the tree outside my yoga room window. It is a deciduous magnolia that some call a tulipContinue reading “Gathering Energy”
The Centering Power of Water
Water plays an important role in my life. I grew up near the James River in Richmond, Virginia and always felt calmer when I walked or drove past it. As a kid, I loved playing in the little creeks that fed into the river and even in the intermittent streams that flowed briefly through myContinue reading “The Centering Power of Water”
Orange Kitty Meditation
Anthony came home on Labor Day weekend 2007. My sons and I decided the long weekend was the right time to adopt a new cat since we would be home all weekend, and enough time had passed to allow mourning for our last cat who died early in the summer. Our dog was lonely, tooContinue reading “Orange Kitty Meditation”
Mindful Musings 