Party invitations are usually a welcome piece of mail.  One September afternoon, in 1978 a Halloween party invite was cause for concern.  Sue, my dear friend, is not speaking to me.  Her response to a heated argument is silence.  Days and weeks pass and she does not respond to my calls or cards.   The party, […]

Birds emerge out of splashes of color. They are my assignment in Carla Sonheim’s online art class Blobimals. First, we splatter a large sheet of paper with two different colors of paint. Then, we turn the page this way and that as we search for images. Squiggly lines become birds, a bunny and then a

Disarray makes it difficult for me to create. So, I keep my studio clear of clutter. Well, most of the time. Its current condition is a sign of how busy my life has been.  The book launch, two groups in Paris, book talks, signings and a retreat in Saugatuck all happened within two months, along with

For months I have worked to read at the iconic Parisian bookshop, Shakespeare and Company. My publisher and my media person, Keith Kelly, have also contacted them to no avail. So tonight, a band of participants from my program Unfolding in Paris: a writing, spiritual exploration and tour of the city of lights will occupy

Shells, sea grass, fragments of sponge and marine life, this collection of the ocean’s bounty must be a tribute to mermaids.  I had to snap a photo.  But it was more than my whimsical imagination that compelled me to take the picture.   This arrangement has soul. It speaks to me in a way I am not

“People who have a hard time receiving choose partners who have difficulty giving.” When these words meet my ear, I stop in my tracks. I am only partially listening to the TV as I wash dishes. Christiane Northrup, leading authority in the field of women’s health and wellness, startles me with her observation. This makes

Finding our unclaimed qualities in others is a tricky path of self-discovery. It takes a level of consciousness that most of us struggle to maintain. How much of what I don’t like about you is also in me? On the other hand, are those tantalizing traits in you, actually untapped gifts within me? Seeing parts

What is the most daring thing you have ever done?  Your first answer might be a feat of physical danger.  But there is something more daring than bungee jumping or skydiving.  Something more courageous than climbing up the side of Mount Kilimanjaro.  The most daring thing you will ever do is to be fully authentically

Fake Wakes is a business I’ve considered starting.  Its mission: To encourage telling friends and family how much they mean to us while they are alive.  Company Motto: Tell them now. Too many of us save up all the best comments about loved ones to finally deliver at their funerals.  It makes me wonder, “Is

There is tension on the tiller as I grip it.  Sails snap and then tighten.  My family is the crew.  We are gliding across Lake Geneva in Wisconsin on a beautiful summer afternoon.  Waves break against the bow of our boat as we pass homes dotting the shoreline.  It’s been years since we sailed. Yet the