Blog

A dear friend told me that as we enter each new year, it is important to clean house. The process removes the old and creates fresh space for new blessings to enter. Her lineage is Japanese, and the idea resonated. It has become a tradition I have tried to honor each January. This year as … Continue reading DUST →

Hurricane force winds roared down the foothills and onto the plains. I was exhausted from Christmas responsibilities and needed a nature reboot. I grabbed my camera and headed out to photograph the wind. Immediately, I smelled smoke. As I crested the ridge and looked down upon the valley in which the barn lives, I could … Continue reading FIRE LESSONS →

At first, it is a shock when we return to Standard Time. Yet, as I become used to the early darkness, I find comfort in it. When I return home, it is time to light the candles and the fire, make peppermint tea and pick up a book. This year, my thoughts turn to the … Continue reading LIGHT →

Last night I saw an interview and performance with Keith Urban. The discussion and his new song were about our ‘wildest dreams’, especially those we had when we were young. Back then, I wanted to be a veterinarian as an expression of my love for all animals. To be an architect to create beautiful spaces … Continue reading A FINE LINE →

My habitually chatty inner world has gone quiet. When I peek inward, I find stillness. A writer friend once told me, “When you have nothing to say, bake cookies.”  My kitchen requires a passport for entry and the oven is a completely foreign territory. So, my version of 'cookie baking' is to traipse around the … Continue reading BAKING COOKIES →

After two sleepless weeks, I’m finally able to rest. Each day I practice a body centered meditation; simply sensing where there is discomfort/contraction in my physical, emotional, and mental self. Now, as I check internally, there is only quiet. I feel at peace. Still, when I must drive the interstate and road raggers in speeding … Continue reading QUIET →

It has been about ten days without having a full night’s sleep. I am exhausted but trust I am going through another life shift, yet this one feels tectonic. When I toss and turn in the dark, I recall events, mistakes and people that pop out of the crevices of my mind. It is like … Continue reading SLEEP →

All of us who live in an urban environment are surrounded with noise. Even in my home, I’m likely to turn on the radio to ‘keep up with the news’. I see friends plugged into their EarPods. (Locating a podcast is a skill I still haven’t mastered!) But I do love music of all kinds … Continue reading SILENCE →

A basic human need is to seek connection. One way we find it is in friendships. There are situational friendships – drawn together by a shared passion. Those created out of an intense experience – a disaster or a shared, deeply emotional experience. Those crafted and committed to over the years that last a lifetime. … Continue reading FRIENDSHIP →

For the past 20 years I have earned my living as a home organizer.  I am mostly retired. From this vantage point, I can look back and marvel at the many people who have allowed me into their homes. Allowed me to see their “stuff”, taken me into their confidences and bloomed as they experience … Continue reading Bearing Witness →