In this emotionally charged season, I find myself withdrawing more and engaging less. As a self-professed news junkie, I was so stricken with the negative energy spewing forth from our nation’s leaders that, yes, even I had to turn off the telly.  But as I sit in the echoing silence, it has become abundantly clear…

It’s that time of year…again. A time when loving memories of family togetherness in days gone by are tangled in disarray with equally strong remembrances of anger, guilt, frustration, and disappointment. My stomach used to constrict at the first sign of Thanksgiving fixings in the market, quickly followed by massive cramps as excessive Christmas ornamentation…

Our travels in India were kaleidoscopic, encompassing the full spectrum from opulence to indigence, from spiritual euphoria to profound destitution. The energetic extremes were oftentimes overwhelming. Case in point, riding the Maharajas’ Express (picture Agatha Christie’s Orient version), sipping Turkish coffee while gazing out the window at a rural village surrounded by a mountain of…

Our adventures in Africa were multi-dimensional, and without a doubt, transcendental. First and foremost, of course, were the animals! We were blessed to see the Big Five, more than once, and so much more. K had bought me a fancy camera to use, and as a novice, I was a bit leery of wielding such…

So much has happened since we relocated to this small, rural town in Costa Rica, I could write a book.  Oh wait, I am! This adventure in paradise has been rich in characters, culture and tropical oases. In general terms, many of our dreams have been realized. But, as is the case in life, many…

Never been much of a Taylor Swift fan.  Probably a generational thing. But now that I am living in a retirement community among a demographic that collects social security checks rather than “likes” on social media, I realize that not much has changed other than the grey hair and the wrinkled skin. I am disheartened…

I found this beautiful vulture drying out his wings in the early morning sun after a long night of rain.  When the puppies ran outside to eat their breakfast, they saw him and barked up a storm, but only after they’d gobbled down every last kibble. The vulture was able to gauge the level of…

The stages of grief are apparently predictable and treatable…some doctors say there are seven, but most agree there are five distinct stages to wallow through (my words) to recovery. I awoke this morning feeling dirty, defiled. I realized that by allowing myself to be goaded into reacting to a nasty and deeply personal internet article…

I feel so disappointed that I am compelled to revisit this topic one more time, especially since I thought that the whole ugly, mean-spirited matter had fizzled out like a defective sparkler on the Fourth of July. K and I have moved on with our lives and have focused our consciousness on the good people…

As the weeks, days and minutes tick by since the invasion (for lack of a better word), K and I have been challenged with a myriad of emotions, ranging from euphoric gratitude to depth-defying depression.  The down-side of the emotional spectrum is visited most often by me, truth be told.  K, who hobbles around one-legged…