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!”

Stillness of the Autumn Landscape

10/25/25 A walk today in the mid-afternoon sun on a nearly deserted lake front road stimulated my senses. As I approached the water, it was so quiet that I could hear the wind rustling the Pampas grass by the water’s edge while insects in the reeds trilled to each other, oblivious to my presence. AnContinue reading “Stillness of the Autumn Landscape”

A Change of Season

September 14, 2025 There is a slant to the sunlight, even on an 80-degree mid-September day that tells me it is almost Autumn. The oak trees and hickories I pass on my walks are still fully festooned with dark green leaves, but the angled sunlight gives them a yellowish cast. Here and there I seeContinue reading “A Change of Season”

Reaching the Home Stretch

May 27,2025 It is the final week of the school year, and we just had traditional Memorial Day weekend festivities. There was a cookout with family and friends on Monday, a lovely visit with Andrew’s girlfriend Anna for the weekend, and I managed to get in day hike to a new place with Nick. TheContinue reading “Reaching the Home Stretch”

Don’t Give Up 5 Minutes Before the Miracle

April 27, 2025 Writing posts for Mindful Musings has not been in the forefront of my mind lately. I continue to journal daily, and I keep up with my personal practices of yoga, meditation and exercise, but my urge to share my writing has been non-existent. Chalk it up to grief or working full-time orContinue reading “Don’t Give Up 5 Minutes Before the Miracle”

Where are my feet?

December 30, 2024 Where are my feet? One of my favorite mindfulness techniques is to ask myself this simple question. My husband has heard this so many times from me in the past 15 years, that he quotes it back to me periodically. We both have dealt with an enormous amount of stress and griefContinue reading “Where are my feet?”

The Value of Retreats

November 10, 2024 This weekend I spent four days and three nights in Sandbridge, Virginia in a grand beach front house where the main agenda was writing in community. The retreat was a lovely balance of group writing sessions, constructive feedback from our instructor, shared meals prepared by an amazing chef and time to writeContinue reading “The Value of Retreats”

Late Summer Weeding

August 11, 2024 Come late August, weeding is one of my least favorite tasks. It is hot and sweaty work and even in drought, the weeds grow with gusto and flourish in every flower bed, vegetable garden and even my driveway. I try not to use chemicals, but sometimes resort to pouring boiling water onContinue reading “Late Summer Weeding”