Posted in January 2010

Why Self-Help Bores Me

Tell me a story. In this century, and moment, of mania, tell me a story. Make it a story of great distances, and starlight. The name of the story will be time, But you must not speak its name. Tell me a story of deep delight. -Robert Penn Warren On my desk sits a stack … Continue reading »

Meaning Mondays: The Hummingbird Edition

It was shaping up to be a ragged week. As much as the parched California landscape needs the rain, and as grateful as I am that El Nino has purportedly arrived, the onslaught required a period of adjustment for me. And of course, the first storms of the year brought with them the minor aggravations … Continue reading »

The Kindness of Strangers

Last week when I was writing about the hallway of transition an unexpected visitor arrived at my imagination’s door, unbidden. Without calling ahead, Blanche Dubois aimlessly wandered across my visual landscape in her rhinestone tiara and yellowing ball gown, looking forlorn and rather lost. And then, back in the real world, I serendipitously discovered that … Continue reading »

Meaning Mondays: The Mask Edition

A person is least of all himself when he talks as himself. Give him a mask and he will tell the truth. -Oscar Wilde I stumbled upon mask making quite by accident. Early in my career, I was fascinated by the intersection of creativity and personal growth. (Still am, actually.) And since I had a … Continue reading »

In the Hallway of Transition

When one door closes another opens but all too often there is a long hallway in between. -Rick Jarow It was a welcome surprise. The unexpected email arrived in my inbox earlier this week, from two former students. I haven’t seen them in well over a year, and in that time they’ve graduated and moved … Continue reading »

Meaning Mondays: The Teapot Edition

This is the story of a small, gently used teapot. It came into my life three years ago, a gift from my husband. Claimed from among a ragged family of fiestaware at an antique store. And like the friskiest puppy in the litter, it called out: pick me, pick me! “A real find,” Dave proclaimed, … Continue reading »

Old Newsletters and Silt

To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. -Agnes De Mille This week I’m in clean slate/fresh start mode, purging old files and documents. And in the process of digging through my hard drive I’ve unearthed some old newsletters that I wrote in years past. Yes, back in the day … Continue reading »

Introducing Meaning Mondays

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. -Annie Dillard Happy New Year! My holiday was refreshing, but it’s also nice to be back in my cozy blogging cockpit. My engines are revved up and I feel ready to fly into 2010. So. We made it. Another year. Another decade. … Continue reading »