Blog Posts

It’s been a week. An alleged assassination attempt (and the proposed solution of a $400 million ballroom). More vindictive, frivolous prosecutions. Stalemate in a war that was started to wag the dog. FCC boot licking. Demolition of the Voting Rights Act. Grifts too numerous to keep track of. I’m finding it increasingly difficult to stave off the apathy that is hovering in the wings. Which is why my “vacation” couldn’t come at a better time. Next week, my travel companion arri

Tomorrow I’ll celebrate yet another trip around the sun with the gratitude for my many blessings that has become the hallmark of my new life. In previous years, I’ve also used the milestone as an opportunity to reflect on the previous year, with an emphasis on all of the improvements I’ve made or the things I’ve accomplished. And, because I was rebuilding this phoenix from the ashes, I believe that approach served to encourage me and validate my hard work. Then. This year I f

A week in which I sought out softness (in community, in self-love and care, in the arts) to counterbalance the brutal realities that surround us. A week in which I realized the need to pace myself; I do believe that good will ultimately prevail, but that it may take a while. Ways I Found Joy This Week Relaxing and unknotting with a deep tissue massage Meeting at a local museum to introduce the CWP to my 7 th grade bestie (an amazing artist) so we could check out and di

A week in which going with the flow led to impromptu adventures and so much contentment. Ways I Found Joy This Week Hosting girls’ movie night Refreshing my “fairy hair” Dispelling my anxiety and anger about current events with action by writing postcards for democracy Whiling away a Sunday afternoon at a leisurely brunch under the trees with old friends Walking Juno Beach and collecting shells on a windy, overcast day Making a spontaneous expedition to the Breakers and getti

A week in which I doubled down on my resolve to resist by shining a light on joy. It is always darkest before the dawn, and I am convinced dawn is around the corner. After which we’ll have lots of work to do, so let’s pace ourselves. Ways I Found Joy This Week Making two more great library hauls Enjoying a fabulous deep tissue massage Laughing out loud at a comedy special Switching my BlueSky feed from “Following” to “Discover”, and counterbalancing the grim realities of o

A week of sprinkling in joy as I returned to the outside world and a semblance of routine. Ways I Found Joy This Week Being feted by the nurses for “graduating” from my year of monthly shots that actually reversed osteoporosis Receiving two moving personal notes from readers of Rising Hosting the first ladies’ movie night of the year at my place Stopping for a chat with the elderly man down the street whose authentic positivity is an inspiration and whose smile lights up th

“Reality is a question of perspective.” Salman Rushdie As my year-end meditations continue, this week I’d planned to explore the notion that this year is considered, in the woo-woo sphere anyway, a year of completion. But man plans and God laughs, and instead the Universe has treated me to a walloping dose of perspective. Two weeks ago, my personal assistant underwent veterinary dental surgery to have a cracked molar and four dangerously loose teeth extracted. True to his

Happy Thanksgiving to all who celebrate. I will once again be sharing my signature Italian dinner with the CWP on a break from her current dog sitting gig. Otherwise, it’s a Thursday. (The part of me that is blissfully grateful for that soothes the part of me that sometimes wistfully recalls gatherings of yore.) Right on schedule, I feel myself going into the assessment mode that seems to strike me as a new year approaches. This year, though, I feel a slight difference; my t

I’m sure it’s just frequency illusion (like when you decide you might like to buy a red car, and suddenly red cars are everywhere), but lately I seem to be haunted by this advice. If you want to fight the despair engendered by our inexorable descent into fascism and corruption… If you want to grow… If you want to save the planet… If you want to find peace… If you’re suffering from burnout… If you want to leave a legacy behind… …create more and consume less. Of course, the see

This week I’m thrilled to announce that, over the weekend, I finished the final edit of the manuscript for my forthcoming book Rising:...

It seems that remaining steadfast in my resolve to find joy and purpose as democracy continues to dissolve is becoming an almost...

Recently I requested your ideas for overcoming (or at least surviving) the previously unimaginable level of inhumanity, corruption, and...

Sleepwalking through most of my life in survival mode, I felt absolutely no connection to or curiosity about religious or spiritual...

I’ve mentioned “filling the well” in earlier posts. It’s a concept I first picked up from reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way many...

When I bought my ideal Caribbean cottage seven years ago, it was an extremely busy time. In addition to moving, I was still dealing with...

Today’s my birthday (again) and I’m celebrating by slacking off a bit (in fact, that may be the theme for the entire month of April,...

Those of you who are aware of my historical relationship with the holidays may be surprised to learn that, despite a year filled with...

This year has been the mother of all time warps. A mashup of Groundhog Day and Back to the Future. Each of the days spent visiting my mother in rehab or languishing on the couch with a fractured spine lasted at least a week. And yet wasn’t it just yesterday that a shiny new year was starting? A year that held so much promise? Not gonna lie. For me, this year has been one of the most difficult in a while and I’ll be happy to get some distance from it. We’re already back to the

I woke up on a recent Sunday morning in a local hotel, where I’d decamped to give the CWP and her visiting friends the run of the house...

It’s been a bit of a heavy week here at the mermaid cottage. My attempt to lighten it up, and provide a crowd favorite, is this latest in...