More than ever, it is time for Nana and Pa to show up, and help our two grandkids run off energy and frustration, connect with nature, and find moments of joy in the great outdoors, abundant here in Portland.
grandchildren
The Entire Sky in a Dewdrop
I read a collection of modern haikus the other day, and the words that stayed with me were Quarantine! Finding comfort! Coronavirus! Butterfly! Moon! Breeze!
Bird Friend
Today the grandkids and I buried one of the baby scrub jays that live in the tall line of arborvitae lining the upper edge of our backyard.
Change Makers
...with this march and the discussions, her school is asking Rosa to learn that she is a change-maker, that her actions impact not only her friends and family but her community and the world.
Changing For Good
I set out alone from Santa Barbara on a hot July day, my little sedan packed to the brim, and cruised north along Highway 101. The one key I owned was to my car. I had just finished packaging up my life, to leave the place I'd lived for 32 years. I was alternately thrilled … Continue reading Changing For Good
Rolling in Memories
They taste of history and of memory, they taste of love, and they taste of butter. They taste of mom, who made them on special occasions. They taste of Nana Bea who would help make them on her annual visits from Chicago or Florida. Nothing but milk and eggs, flour and yeast, a little sugar … Continue reading Rolling in Memories
Over the River and Through the Woods: A Tale of Two Bridges
Big city driving is confusing, and if you don't know where you're going, you end up somewhere else. The complicated, unfamiliar choices come at you fast. Just trying to navigate along one side of the river, you somehow end up on a bridge to the other side. At which point there's no turning around. "Wait, why … Continue reading Over the River and Through the Woods: A Tale of Two Bridges
Champoeg State Park
No matter where you look, no matter how urban, how run down, or how ugly, when fall is in its prime the red, orange, and yellow is everywhere, making anything look 100% better. And if you are in a gorgeous state park, as I was recently, then the beauty on top of beauty is sublime. … Continue reading Champoeg State Park
Seasonal Straddling
Mid-September It's a bittersweet transition putting on my fleecy clothes in the mornings. There's relief in the early cool breeze coming through the windows but I already miss the summer heat. It's a greedy feeling, holding onto summer, wanting heat, enjoying the cool, wanting fall colors. If only, if only. The garden begins it's slow … Continue reading Seasonal Straddling
