Happiness 6-23
picking blueberries ; knowing the next step to take ; coming home late at night after a long absence.
Year: 2010
WriteSpa #38 – Lunar Eclipse
When the Earth stands between the moon and the sun, obscuring the light of the sun from the moon, a lunar eclipse occurs. An eclipse marks endings, surprises, or culminations, loss. There’s going to be one this Saturday, June 26, 2010.
Happiness 6-22
a refulgent full moon ; dramatic noses ; the straits of Gibraltar.
Happiness 6-21
fireflies winking in the dark ; someone writing a love poem about you ; midsummer bonfires.
Happiness 6-20
boarding the train in the rain ; a gazebo covered with wild roses ; scientists with imaginations.
Happiness 6-19
Seeing your painting hung in the Louvre ; complete understanding ; quaint salt-and-pepper shakers.
Happiness 6-18
dining on the Orient Express ; Lakshmi ; finding a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Morning
The spring morning lightens the dark
and the heaviness of thunder
like a huge rock crashing to the floor
shatters the spring dawn.
I lie in my tent, and listen for the rabbit
and the baby bear to come
softly – through the pouring rain.
Today they feast on jasmine and Russian olive
and a wet, pink flower that has not yet been named
and I read your letters and gather up my sorrows
and put them all in a small waterproof sack
and rise again
to meet the day.
Happiness 6-17
the parachute opening as you fall ; falafel ; responding cheerfully.
WriteSpa #37 – Janusian Thinking
WriteSpa – An Oasis for Writers Studies involving fifty or so Nobel prize winners in physiology, chemistry, medicine and physics, as well as Pulitzer Prize-winning writers and other artists, reveal a surprising similarity in their creative process. Called ‘Janusian thinking’ after the Roman god Janus, it involves holding two opposing ideas or images in your Read more about WriteSpa #37 – Janusian Thinking[…]
Happiness 6-16
Monet’s Waterlilies ; sorting it out ; playing with puppies.
Happiness 6-15
writing a thank you letter ; crossing the Rio Grande ; a pale yellow silk dress.
Happiness 6-14
the cacophony of birdsong at dawn ; finding a lost ring ; being knighted.
Happiness 6-13
sailing along the Turkish coast ; catalpa blossoms ; utmost respect.
8th Grade Graduation Speech
I was asked to give a brief talk at the eighth grade graduation. Although I’m a Waldorf high school English teacher, it’s a great pleasure for me to substitute at the lower school on occasion. Here’s what I said:
Happiness 6-12
crossing the Russian Steppes ; the crescendo ; dancing with a stranger at a wedding.
Happiness 6-11
a baby bear in the yard ; orange blossoms ; solving a riddle.
Happiness 6-10
sleeping under the stars ; a drawer full of old buttons ; fresh corn.
WriteSpa #36 – Writing about Clothing
Wonder Why When You Read About Someone Wearing
a Pretty Blue Dress You Want One Too?
My husband went through a Perry Mason phase a while back. He’d be dozing through the pages, then he’d suddenly jump up and pour himself a glass of Scotch. Or he’d have an urge to make a steak. Or he’d glance over at my bare legs on the couch, and I’d know that Della Street had just stepped out of the cab and Perry was eyeing her ankles.
Any avid reader knows the power of a book to transport you into another world, be it a magical realm in a fairy tale or a fast-paced thriller. […]
Happiness 6-9
between the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers ; dark chocolate ; full-out enthusiasm.
Midwives and Writing
When I was pregnant, it never occurred to me not to give birth to my child at home. Not for a moment. I never wavered or wondered if I was making the right decision, nor was I at all anxious. When a friend remarked how brave I was, my response was that I thought it would be a lot braver to give birth in a hospital! I knew all the statistics about hospital births – especially with regard to over-medication and C-sections. And don’t let me get started on germs! No, thanks, we’d be much better off at home. […]
Happiness 6-8
people rushing to help ; mulling the possibilities ; lemonade on the front porch.