Musings about mindfulness and tools that work for me
Summer Solstice Reflections
June 21, 2026 Today is officially the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere, when the daylight is longest and the darkness is shortest. For me the summer solstice always seems part way through the summer because our culture in the US views summer and the time between Memorial Day and Labor Day. It corresponds to…
I’m Free!
As I drove out of the parking lot at about 11:15 am on Friday, I blasted this old Who song on my stereo. 33 years as a high school educator in the books: computer turned in, keys returned, office empty. I was struck by a sense of elation mixed with utter exhaustion that still lingers…
A Marathon, Not a Sprint (Figuratively)
May 17, 2026 When I was younger, I was a runner. I started in high school when each of us was expected to join a team. I had never played any sports before and was clueless about the rules and strategies for all games that involved a ball, so I decided to take up running…
Soil On My Fingers
May 5, 2026 Soil on my fingers. Freshly planted tomatoes in the ground with cages and a bit of organic fertilizer left over from last year in each hole. It all started with a moment of wanting to check on the state of my lettuce and spinach after work. That led to a bit of…
Rest, Reset, Retreat
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 in…
Ch-ch-ch-changes
March 23, 2026 “Ch-ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange Changes, pretty soon now you’re gonna get older Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.” ~David Bowie Spring has fully sprung in central Virginia. I awake each morning to the sounds of happy birds calling out to mates and looking for nesting materials. When…
Leaving on a Jet Plane
3/16/2026 Next week I am embarking on an exciting trip to Europe. All going well I will get to see the tulips in bloom in Holland and some amazing storybook castles along the Rhine in Germany. Over the course of 10 days I will experience Alsatian culture, hike in the Black Forest, tour the Anne…
First Signs of Spring
February 22, 2026 For those of us who live in Virginia, the Winter of 2025-2026 has been a doozie! We had a snowstorm that shut schools down in December before Christmas and multiple snow and ice storms in January through February left the landscape an icy mess for over 3 weeks. Another snowfall is expected…
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 librarian…
Entering the Liminal Space
January 18, 2026 Meriam Webster’s Dictionary defines liminal in the following way. It is an adjective that means of, relating to, or being an intermediate state, phase, or condition: in between or transitional. It has three syllables and is broken into these sections for pronunciation “lim-i-nal.” Liminal perfectly describes the place I am in life.…
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Mindful Musings 