A favorite quote of mine – Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away – has me somehow thinking about the ways in which we measure success. Yesterday marked Labor Day, a licensed refrain from what we do day in/day out. Labor, with that first … [Read more...] about How sweet it is . . .
Girlfriends
Today I’m thinking about a red dress. A perfect red, somewhere between fire engine and wine. Fitted button-down bodice edged in a ruffle made from the same soft cotton as the dress. The skirt was full, a little flounce to it, above the knee. I was twelve (give or take a year) and my best friend … [Read more...] about Girlfriends
Oh, Rachmaninoff where art thou?
It’s late afternoon, a beautiful summer day, and all I long for is the most innocent of pleasures, sitting in a chaise on the deck, music resonating through the wide-open sliding doors. Any random selection from my shelves might do but today it’s Rachmaninoff I crave, "Piano Concerto No. 2." If … [Read more...] about Oh, Rachmaninoff where art thou?
Every Father’s Daughter/Every Mother’s Son
A friend posts a link on Facebook, 5 Ways to Donate/The War Photographer's Retreat. I take note for a few reasons, not the least of which is that she's a wonderful poet and photographer herself whose son happens to be in the service. I don't have a son in the service, but I am a mother and no … [Read more...] about Every Father’s Daughter/Every Mother’s Son
On the Cusp
It always hits me like a gentle surprise – I’ll be taking a walk, early March, some icy patches on a road lined with gritty mounds that beg to be called something other than snow – when I hear them, those first birds of spring. Their singing stops me in my tracks. I stare out my kitchen window, a … [Read more...] about On the Cusp
Grace Notes
In Leonard Cohen's Book of Longing, the most recent of his collections, there's a poem, "My Guitar," that takes its shape as a drawing, one of many that stand alone or as illustrations paired with poems: My guitar is so beautifulSometimes I wish I could play it The humility is pure, the … [Read more...] about Grace Notes
