A Year of Accidental Life Lessons
Dear Son, Last August 3 I’m pretty sure I was sitting in this very spot, looking out this same window, thinking about my kids and how much I missed them. It was quiet without you both here, and I’m...
View ArticleWhat Is The Best Way To Capture Moments?
“The best way to capture moments is to pay attention. This is how we cultivate mindfulness. Mindfulness means being awake. It means knowing what you are doing.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn The morning is...
View ArticleThe Reasons Why I Didn’t Write A Book Last Summer
“What I want most this summer is simply to spend time with the ones I love. To have more days just like this one. Enough presence of mind to pay attention. And enough presence of heart to make...
View Article5 Years of Decembers
It’s been five and a half years since I started blogging; five Decembers that I’ve shared my stories with all of you, and 50 Decembers that I’ve been learning life’s lessons. This December, I decided...
View ArticleMy Favorite Moments of 2015-A Year In Photos
I love the new year. Not because I’m a big one on resolutions (I’m definitely anti-declaration in that way). And not because I like to whoop it up on New Year’s Eve (I don’t – I was in bed by 10 p.m.)....
View ArticleEasy Ways To Embrace A Healthy Lifestyle
At this point in life, I’m learning that things that used to be easy in my twenties, like sitting cross-legged for hours on end, just aren’t quite as simple now. Or running a 5K. Or staying up late to...
View ArticleThe Transfer of Mothering
There’s no denying it’s been a tough winter. Since December we’ve been battling injuries, experiencing traumatic loss, and watching people we care about learn how to live with a new normal. It’s been...
View ArticleTell Me, What Do People Thank You For?
I’m a huge believer in gratitude. It’s actually had a huge, transformative impact on my life in the last several years, and gratitude makes its way into my writing with great frequency. Every morning I...
View ArticleFinding The Extraordinary In The Ordinary October Moments
Don’t you just love the extraordinary moments in October? In northern California where I live, we do have a bit of a ‘fall’ season – and this year we’ve already seen some rain. I’ve been digging in –...
View Article5 Gratitudes For 51
Happy birthday to me! This is 51…a morning spent under the glitter of Christmas tree lights and flickering candles, a hot coffee and a cuddly pup by my side. I sit and wonder how to describe my...
View ArticleMy Favorite Moments of 2016 – In Photos
Even when I can’t find the time/inspiration/concentration to write, I try to always pay attention to finding the extraordinary in the ordinary moments of life. I used to print out all my photos, hand...
View ArticleThe Gods Are Here, In This Almost Empty Nest
“The Gods Are Here” This is no mountain But a house, No rock of solitude But a family chair, No wilds But life appearing As life anywhere domesticated, Yet I know the gods are here, And that if I touch...
View ArticleMy Heart Is Heavy As I Watch The Hate Unfold In Charlottesville Today
My heart is heavy as I watch the hate unfold in Charlottesville today. I try to distract and distance myself by puttering around in my garden, moving the sprinkler from one dry patch to another,...
View ArticleWildfires and Wind
The smash of breaking glass startles me awake. Jumping out of bed, I wobble to the front windows. Nothing amiss, I climb back to bed, but it happens again. This time, a car speeds off across the street...
View ArticleInside The Mind of a Teacher-Mom: Poetry by Kaveri Patel
Going inside the mind of a teacher-mom in November feels so much like this beautiful poem by Kaveri Patel. The newness of the school year has worn off. Old habits replace the eagerness for a fresh...
View ArticleWhat Are Your Early Morning Rituals? How To Wake Up Right And Make A Difference
What Are Your Early Morning Rituals? How To Wake Up Right I’m not much interested in New Year’s Resolutions – I’ve written before about my preference for following a mantra for the year and seeing how...
View ArticleAuthenticity: When I Wonder If I Am Enough
Authenticity: When I Wonder If I Am Enough I didn’t really set out to be a teacher – or a parent. I wasn’t a child who dreamed of my ‘perfect’ career or ‘perfect’ family. I... Read more Authenticity:...
View ArticlePeace Begins At Home
Peace “Peace, like charity, begins at home.” -Franklin D. Roosevelt This quote just seemed right today, on many, many levels. We know we are better together, stronger together, more peaceful together....
View ArticleIt’s A Purge Party – And You’re Invited!
Back in May, a few weeks before school let out for the summer, I decided I needed to have a purge party. In the last 27 years, you see, I’ve taught a huge variety of curriculum and grades, I’ve gone...
View ArticleThank You, What’s Next?
Thank You, What’s Next? Sometimes it really is the little things – like finding your favorite Peet’s Coffee kiosk next to your airport gate, or the Lyft driver who graciously carries your book-laden...
View Article
