Pumpkin Pie

October is usually the time of year I start seeing pumpkin flavors advertised at supermarkets, coffee shops, and eateries: pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin crème brulee, pumpkin bread, and tarts, cookies, soups, cheesecakes, and muffins, building up to the holidays and, yes, that infamous pumpkin pie. I don’t mind pumpkin flavors now, but I hated them […]
Suffering Softens Stones

Suffering is defined as the state of undergoing pain, distress, or hardship. For example, war will cause widespread suffering; my friend suffers a lot during the winter when it’s cold, and his joints get stiff; or, because of her unimaginable guilt, she suffered greatly. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t suffered at some point in […]
My Last Year

None of us know how long we will live, but would you want to know if you had a magic ball that told you the precise time of your death? Perhaps you might say yes if you are young and your magic ball reports that you have 100 more years to live. 100 years is […]
Everything is Possible

If you’ve read my memoir, Wandering (2023 Gray Wolf Books), you may recall that I toured England, Scotland, and Wales before embarking on the overland journey to India (Chapter 28). I did not share much about those few months before taking the Magic Bus to Greece because I couldn’t choose which experiences to include and which […]
Silver Tip Poems

My favorite subject in high school was English Literature. In my junior and senior years, my English teacher had a soft spot for poetry. We delved into the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Walt Whitman, and Robert Frost and even dipped into Rumi and Pablo Neruda. I ate it up and wrote hundreds of poems, […]
Letting Go

Several of my neighbors shouted. “The ice rink is ready! The ice rink is ready!” Many fathers, including my stepfather, had spent weeks clearing and preparing a space for the six apartment complexes to play ice hockey and for their families to ice skate on family night. The last few days had been particularly cold […]
The Meaning of Success

If I accept the Oxford-Webster definition of success, which is “achieving wealth, respect, or fame”, then I can count the successes or the near successes in my life on one hand. In high school, I won my school’s public speaking contest. I proudly wore the first-place ribbon on my sweater throughout the evening after I […]
Cell Phones

Not long ago, I spent an overnight at a swanky hotel in the city. Does anyone use the term swanky anymore? Anyway, it was a nice place. The rooms overlooked the harbor. A fluffy robe and towel were provided for the spa, the swimming pool, or the hot tub. Since I had some time before […]
The Old Man in the Corner

It was a last-minute decision to grab a coffee at one of my favorite coffee shops. I parked and walked briskly inside. Oh, no! There were 10 people in line with probably the same thought I had. While waiting my turn, with the person in front of me ordering six drinks for her pals back […]
A Mad, Mad World

Throughout history, there have been many dark and difficult times. In 1346, the Bubonic Plague killed about 30 – 50% of Europe’s population. Because the mortality rate was around 50%, people were often buried alive if they were too sick to be moved. Ouch! 1918 was also a difficult time. World War 1 had just […]
A Neutral State of Mind

A meditation teacher once asked me, “How are you feeling these days?” I thought for a moment before answering. “To be honest I’m not feeling much of anything. I’m not sad but I’m not jumping for joy either.” I wondered what else to say. “I guess I’m pretty much neutral about things.” He clapped his […]
Writer’s Block

The Webster-Merriam definition of “blocked” is to be obstructed or to make movement slow or impossible. Creativity is typically defined as the ability to generate new ideas or novel associations. Writer’s Block is usually associated with writing. Often an author is unable to produce new work or experiences a creative blackout. It can vary in […]
Slowing Down

I can hardly believe this is the 17th Tuesday of 2024. It’s also National English Muffin Day, Spanish Language Day, World Book Day, National Email Day, Table Tennis Day, German Beer Day, International Creator Day, Cherry Cheesecake Day, Impossible Astronaut Day, and I kid you not –National Nose Picking Day! What? Who knew? It’s also […]
The Wonderful Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus are iconic Australian trees with distinctive bark, leaves, and striking foliage. There are over 700 species that are highly valued for their oil. Several large eucalyptus trees lined the eastern side of our rental, and I never tired of gazing at their magnificent trunks and branches. The more mature ones looked like works of […]
Treehouse by the Sea

The first thing I noticed when we arrived at our coastal rental was a little black and white picture frame with the words: Paris New York London Tokyo and the name of the small town nearby. I laughed. The place we chose to stay at was not Tokyo or Paris but a quaint, out-of-the-way spot […]