Nancy J. Hill

Balancing

Cool weather signals a move to indoor activities. Barbecues, block parties, and beach days are disappearing. Now we reach for sweaters and jackets. A desire to sit quietly, journal, or hike in thewoods might begin calling to you. We need to pay attention to these subtle longings. It is not always easy. Some days, news […]

Balancing Read More »

leaving

  Crackle and pop sing the gravel under the car wheels as we pull out of the parking lot. Crow who greeted me on arrival now sends us on our way. Don spent time exploring New Mexico and Colorado. I led a five-day retreat here at Mabel Dodge Luhan House in Taos, New Mexico. For

leaving Read More »

Forming

  Saturday, August 3, 2024, 6:55 a.m. Our house is still. Don sleeps in another bedroom. I sit propped up in our bed. The Covid beast has finally found me. I have escaped its claws for four years. I thought I was impenetrable. Even when Don caught it months ago, I did not get it.

Forming Read More »

Centering

  Spinning. Wobbly. Uncertain. The world feels chaotic. Chatting with others confirms that they also feel this way. Politics. Wars. Environment. Looking “out there” fills us with concerns. Worries are compounded by the realization that many situations are out of our control.   On a personal level, our community of friends lost yet another tenderhearted

Centering Read More »

Experimenting

  Jennifer is a professional violinist and is in one of my women’s circles. She taught me a powerful lesson. She realized that the fear of looking foolish was holding her back. So, she created a situation that had the potential to do just that.   Grand halls and ballrooms are the usual venues for

Experimenting Read More »

Embracing

Last week I got hearing aids. This week I took all the dark color out of my hair. Shifts like these need to be given thought. I had considered them for quite awhile.    Birthdays at any age can give us pause. They can be a time of reflection. Turning eighty this year was significant. 

Embracing Read More »

Endings

  Endings are powerful points of transition. They grab our attention and ask us to clarify their meaning. They want answers. What did you gain from the experience? What did you learn? What might you have done differently? Some endings are uninvited. Others we choose. Either way we must adjust. Often our self-image needs to

Endings Read More »

Resting

Sierra Madre mountains surround picturesque Ajijic.  This small  Mexican village has helped me disconnect from my usually busy days. I love walking to the store in the morning to buy produce and freshly baked bread. Everyone greets me with an enthusiastic. “Buenos Dias!.” There are so many things that I love here. I am going

Resting Read More »

Aging

What would your seven-year-old self think of the woman you have become? Turning eighty this month is now a time of reflecting and looking back. That is the very question I am asking myself.   Reading from my book, Unfolding back in 2013 was important. It is captured in the above photo. Shakespeare and Company,

Aging Read More »

Baking

  Fizzy yeast and water combine with four cups of flour. A transformation occurs in my mixing bowl. Flour is now alive and growing. Dough doubles in size. Gooey fingers stretch this white lump. I slip it into the oven. Inviting aromas of rosemary and garlic begin to fill the house. Golden focaccia bread slides

Baking Read More »