Writing a memoir isn’t for sissies. Let me rephrase that. Writing a memoir is for hard core masochists- for those who truly enjoy pain- because, for the most part, that’s what you’re going to experience as you struggle with what to tell, what to hold back, and how the whole fits together. I was just […]
The Canoe Trip
A Comfort Vest, you may know, is a garment that’s designed to calm dogs who become frightened due to loud noises like thunder. You zip or click or velcro the vest onto them and the close fit provides the soothing comfort of a full body hug. I only learned of these at 4th of July […]
Relevant Reading
I’ve been reading since before dawn today. I awakened to find 2 tweets that led me into a couple hours of insight on themes that I’ve considered frequently during the writing and editing of The Girl with the Black and Blue Doll. Life. Death. Tears. The Universe. Themes that I devoted way too much time […]
Dirt Paths
I had a dirt path epiphany this week. A grounding, as it were. We moved to this mostly paved, though very rural, island nine months ago. Previously, we lived an isolated 45-miles-from-a-decent-grocery-store, dirt road lifestyle on a lake in the Ozarks. Now that we’ve been here for nine months, a period equal to full term […]
The Swimming Lessons
It’s the August full moon of midsummer, a time which always brings back memories of summer Sundays at my grandparents’ cottage on a lake in Massachusetts. By 4th of July, the hand-dug well on our farm had always gone dry so baths and shampoos were out of the question. As a substitute for Saturday nights […]
The Road to Marrakesh
After flights totaling 21 hours, we wearily checked into the El Mansour Hotel in the old Medina of Casablanca, Morocco. Roger left me in the dark shuttered room while he hailed a cab to pick up our rent-a-car. “I’ll be right back,” he said. That was more than 40 years ago. February 1975. Our honeymoon. […]
What Do You Give A Man Who Has Nothing?
Today is the 80th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama of Tibet. I am honored to say that my article— What Do You Give To a Man Who Has Nothing? —has just been published on elephantjournal.com. ……………………… What Do You Give a Man Who Have Nothing? The Wall St. Journal had an article on […]
Finding Bodhichitta. Finding Love.
(Author’s Note, after the fact: I just counted 5 “fears”, 1 “fearless” and 5 “loves” in this post. You can’t have too much love, but 5 fears is crazy. This is not one of my better pieces.) I’ve been reading Buddhist beliefs lately, not in search of a new religion, but as a willing student […]
Thank Your Mother for your Sexual Freedom
Yes, your mother (or grandmother) made it possible for you to have one less worry in your wild life. Your mother made it possible for you to hook up with your lover without the fear of pregnancy. Your mother made it possible for you to complete the joy of intimacy by making a physical connection […]
Live the Island Life: Live Green. 10 Tips Learned from Island Living.
I confess that I am in the midst of a very long, ongoing love affair—with islands. Many islands. I have yielded to their temptation in many seas—some repeatedly—and each island has shared its unique characteristics abundantly and unabashedly. The most valued aspect of these island affairs is that they have taught me the principles of […]