I was feeling grouchy today, so I thought it was time for another list of happy-making things. Spontaneous hugs from my teenage son. Being assigned a new piano piece by my teacher. Fried chicken. Flower/seed catalogs in winter. Sourdough bread. Unexpected phone calls from friends. Pretty stamps. Dark chocolate-covered cherries from Godiva. Clean sheets. …Read More

[This is a repost about Louise Penny’s and her marvelous crime/mystery novels  from 2011. Since then she’s published five more books in the Inspector Gamache/Three Pines series. But I realized I hadn’t gushed on her to all my new followers. *waves madly* She releases her next book in the series at the end of August, …Read More

Today’s photos are event-related: the arrival of our new piano! Tucked away in a recipe file, of all places, I have the purchase agreement for the Baldwin Acrosonic spinet that I’ve been playing off and on since I was seven. My parents bought it on an installment plan in 1970 for $929, and paid it off six …Read More

What are your passions, the things that you feel you could never live without? Whether it’s physical attraction between two people, or an exciting new project or vocation, the first flush of passion is almost always the strongest. We feel carried away, ready to throw everything over for it–forget to walk the dog, or feed …Read More

        “The ruling passion, be it what it will. The ruling passion conquers reason still.” — Alexander Pope “Passion is the genesis of genius.”— Tony Robbins Valentine’s Day got me thinking about all kinds of passion this week. What a rich gift passion is. More tomorrow… February  18th Words Journal:  350 words …Read More

    Resistance and I are old, old friends. You could almost call her my twin from the dark side. Sometimes she comes to me dressed as fear. Sometimes as jealousy. Sometimes as illness. Sometimes as a cruel judge. Sometimes as a blank, brick wall. Sometimes as my mothering heart. No matter how she’s cloaked, she’s extremely …Read More

  I adore urban legends. I particularly loved them when I was a young teen because they were outrageous or scandalous stories with elements that hit close to home. My very favorite one is a little gross, so bear with me. (I loved scary stories as a kid, and was an early adopter of Stephen King …Read More

You can probably tell from my photos that I spend a lot of time at our house. But the wonderful thing is that nature is never tiresome–it’s never the same from day to day. Occasionally I think about doing an Instagram or a regular post with a photo taken at the same spot every day of …Read More

    Perhaps I’m showing my age here, but did anyone else’s parents advise them to take a typing class in high school so they would have “something to fall back on?” My mother suggested that I take typing, so I dutifully registered, even though it sounded kind of boring. But it also turned out …Read More

  “Difficulty, my brethren, is the nurse of greatness – a harsh nurse, who roughly rocks her foster – children into strength and athletic proportion.” –William C. Bryant*   *Translation: Do the hard stuff. Your life will be better.   Don’t forget to share the title of your favorite love song for a chance on special …Read More