This is less a “top” ten list, and more a “random” ten list. Who could put gratitude in any rational order, anyway? Stories - the infinite number of stories to be told. Or maybe there is only one real story, but an infinite variety of ways to tell it. Either way, the well of stories never runs … Continue reading A Thanksgiving Top Ten
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Independence Celebrations
My annual ritual on Independence Day (July 4 here in the US) is to celebrate independence from something meaningful. Past years I tried spending a day being independent from worry, from judging others, and from clinging to expectations. (For last year's piece on my No Expectations holiday, click here.) As I've been promoting You, Jane … Continue reading Independence Celebrations
Summer Arrives
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, summer arrived this past weekend. Depending on where you were, it might have appeared in the form of storms, floods, lightning, wind, heat and humidity, or gentle sunshine and delicate breezes. Here it is, nonetheless, and we mark another turning point in another year in our sojourn … Continue reading Summer Arrives
May’s Lucky 13: Friends & Mothers
This month's Lucky 13 post is dedicated to friends and mothers. My friend Jennifer's mother is no longer on this planet; nearly forty years ago she created a home-away-from-home for her family near Palm Springs. Jennifer inherited her mother's taste, graciousness, intelligence, and sense of humor. And Jennifer generously invited me to join her on … Continue reading May’s Lucky 13: Friends & Mothers
Spring Turbulence
Over the last weeks, here in the valley, our weather mirrors the turbulence of all change. We've had snow, sun, wind, rain; days turn from cold to warm to cold again in a heartbeat. We're on the cusp. The calendar counts the official transition to spring today, but it's clear we're still en route. Don't … Continue reading Spring Turbulence
When Life Hands You Lemons, Just Add More Cowbell
I don't know why I chose that title, except that it made me giggle. I wanted to write and post this piece a few days ago, after a Friday night spent listening to my friends in Avolition play one of their best sets ever at a local wine shop, Gard Vintners. (It might have been … Continue reading When Life Hands You Lemons, Just Add More Cowbell
Unexpected Delights: A report on Independence from Expectations Day
As I posted here on July 4, I've a habit of celebrating independence from something a bit more meaningful to me than the overthrow of our British friends. Past years, I've tried independence from fear, for example, or from judgment. This year I felt myself dreading one or two events set for July 4. So … Continue reading Unexpected Delights: A report on Independence from Expectations Day
Inspiration for adventure
Every writer, every artist in another "official" medium, and every artist of life in general, needs inspiration. The good news is, inspiration is everywhere. The trick is to recognize it when we see it. Today I saw inspiration in a new friend of mine. J. is about five feet tall, and weighs something like one … Continue reading Inspiration for adventure
No One Gets Out of Here Alive (Thankfully)
Watching friends play music always serves as an attitude adjustment. When they are also terrific musicians, the adjustment can take you all the way to joy. Saturday came around cold, damp, and grey. The kind of morning it seems like the devil himself knows you are home. I had a pain in my shoulder that … Continue reading No One Gets Out of Here Alive (Thankfully)
Innocence, Experience
This week's Project Create, and, as usual, it ain’t just a music review. How could it be, when the twelve hours of music I want to describe took place as part of a motorcycle rally, the first I’ve ever attended? There’s probably a novel’s worth of stories to come from this weekend, the Lava Run … Continue reading Innocence, Experience
