Last Day It’s still early in the morning, and I feel the warm glow from last night’s powerful concert with my women’s choir, Yala Lati. The lyrics and harmonies flow through my heart and mind, along with memories of looking at all the beautiful faces of women I’ve come to know and love over the … Continue reading Release →

Journal entry, early September: I sit at my favorite wraparound desk (the one my own hands created 15 years ago), looking out the large screen-less windows at my beloved garden. Birds chirp carelessly from the apple tree in the back corner and an occasional hummingbird swoops down from above, still stunning me with its death-defying … Continue reading Letting Go →

You may say I’m a dreamer… Many people have given me feedback that I’m a seeker, a dreamer, always on the lookout for a better way of life, place to live, way of relating, job, etc. When I hear these comments I interpret them as coming from a place of inspiration with a twist of … Continue reading In Search Of: →

Dissolving into a luxurious blanket of hot water, I gasp at the silver brilliance of the rising full moon as it clears the branches of my apple tree and fully illuminates my sweet little back yard. I love my hot tub! I close my eyes and reflect on where my life is right now: in … Continue reading Retired! →

My journal entry from late December  Driving north from Santa Cruz on scenic highway 1, I strain my eyes into the darkening sky, searching for the pullout with ocean-view camping described on a free camping website I often use. I was told camping along the coast was always illegal, so I’m dubious of what I’ll … Continue reading Re Entry →

Uninvited visitors in the night It was 1:30 in the morning and I lay wide awake, though I craved sleep. I heard them gnawing on something, tiny teeth grinding and clicking, then Wanda shimmied a little as tiny feet shuffled along a surface I couldn’t see, though one that was close to my body. Flicking … Continue reading Synchronicities →

ARRIVING It started at night, howling across Max’s aluminum roof and slapping the cane stalks against his windows, as if keeping time to a frantic acid rock ballad. I pulled myself out of bed, ready to begin my final packing and hit the road again with Riley and Wanda. The wind whipped my hair in … Continue reading Anza →

Desert Tales I remember an intense fear of the desert in my youth, probably fed by Hollywood, Walt Disney, and cartoons. The possibility of dying from thirst, unfriendly spiny plants, unbearable heat, mirages that trick you into getting more and more lost, and the worst: rattlesnakes wrapping around your axles at night or crawling into … Continue reading Saline Valley →

Saying goodbye to Sach’a Munay was more than a little sad. Our group’s retreat center (near the upper part of Peru’s Sacred Valley) had become a comforting home for the first 8 days of our two week writing and yoga workshop. The spacious rooms, healthy food, inviting gardens, and super friendly staff were hard to … Continue reading Machu Picchu →

We’re staying at a yoga retreat center called Sach’a Munay, near the top of the Sacred Valley. Sach'a Munay is Quechua for beautiful or loving tree, indicating the deep connection to the natural world of this indigenous culture. Our group of 18 participants and 3 guides walks up the stone pathway, lined with flowers of … Continue reading Sacred Valley →