Tuesday, November 28, 2017

My autumn passenger
Some leaves get a bit clingy this time of year.
It can't be easy to fall.

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Apropos of nothing in particular ...

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

That bit of wisdom is attributed to Confucius, and it came to me yesterday courtesy of an Honest Tea bottle cap.

Cheers! ... sort of.

Food for thought lies underneath.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

Feline disdain

"Well, I was sleeping until you put that phone in front of my face."

Forgive me, April. I couldn't resist.


Thursday, August 31, 2017


Dial "S" for scam.
Clearly government cutbacks have reached the Department of Grammar and Syntax. 
You didn’t know such a department existed? 

Well … actually it doesn’t, just like the bogus tax office that’s supposedly poised to arrest me. I learned about my imminent incarceration from a voicemail message today, and the wording was so weird, I just have to share.

The robotic female voice literally said:


        We have just received a notification regarding your tax filings, from the headquarters which will get expired in next 24 working hours. And once it get expired after that you will be taken under custody by the local cops, as there are four serious allegations pressed on your name at this moment.
"We would request you to get back to us, so we can discuss about this case before taking any legal action against you."

Of course it’s a scam, but maybe those “local cops” could explain what the heck is expiring: Headquarters? My filings? That notification? 

It might be interesting to “discuss about this case,” but I know better than to call the robot back.
I wonder if anyone does. Maybe, if those allegations press too hard on their name.

Ouch.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Seen at work. Even computers may need to ease into the day.

I appreciate computer programmers who have a sense of humor. 

Especially since January.


Wednesday, June 21, 2017

View from the sand up:
Rooted rock and boundless sky

I never get tired of the shore.
Around these parts, we go "down the shore," as in "We went down the shore last weekend."
Once we get there, we go to the beach.
I understand that in other parts of the country, people go "to the beach" (when they really mean they're going down the shore).
Go figure.
However you get there, there's nothing quite like reaching the edge of land and taking in the enormity of the sea.
I took the photo above on a recent trip to Ocean City, N.J., one of our favorite shore towns. During low tide, the stone jetty offered me a different perspective.
Just beyond, the ocean continued its eternal dance.
And these lucky boulders have front-row seats.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Fabric making is an art.

It's 91 degrees in May.
Time to break out the flowy, silky stuff.
I found these pants on a recent mother-daughter shopping trip to Rice's Market in Bucks County.
While I am trying to reduce the "stuff" in my life, I also know this is true:
(some) stuff + memory = momentary joy
Worth holding onto.



Tuesday, April 11, 2017


Lou enjoys the view.

First you mow the lawn,
then you sit on the porch.
It's a rule.
(Louie concurs.)

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Shaggy evergreen from a February past
Haiku for Feb. 25, high of 71 degrees

Today's mixed blessing:
February wears flip-flops
while Earth simmers on.

Monday, January 30, 2017

The other day I parked behind a car from the Peach State. 
The license plate frame informed me that the vehicle hailed from Effingham, Georgia.

Now, there’s a town with attitude.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Ready for her closeup: Calico April
On a raw, rainy winter afternoon, can there be anything more comforting than a cat purring softly in your lap?
In case you're wondering, the answer 
to that question is:
No
Thanks, April.

Friday, January 20, 2017

On this day, I offer my space to another writer, one whose eloquence I’ve admired greatly over the past eight years. I’ve been moved not just by the power of his words, but by the ideas and ideals behind them. 
Toward the end of his last press conference on Wednesday, President Barack Hussein Obama left the press corps — and the nation — with some sobering, yet encouraging words. They are worth repeating: 
“I believe in this country. I believe in the American people. I believe that people are more good than bad. I believe tragic things happen. I think there's evil in the world, but I think at the end of the day, if we work hard, and if we're true to those things in us that feel true and feel right, that the world gets a little better each time. That's what this presidency’s tried to be about.”
Amen to that.

Friday, January 6, 2017

A cup of tea and happiness.

Here's to cultivating joy in 2017.
For starters, I'll think of our daughter whenever I use this mug, a gift she gave me a few years ago.
Simple pleasures. I hold them close, especially these days.
When a new year begins, we can’t help but look back at the old. This time around, some might prefer to look away.
I understand that feeling, but I also know we can’t afford it.
Like it or not, our country is about to get a new president.
If we don’t like it (and at least 65 million of us do not), our best strategy is to pay close attention, and to speak out.
One friend summed it up in a word:

“Vigilance.”

I am an optimist at heart. I would like to give this new president a chance, but he is not making that easy. In negativity, he reaps what he sows.

Another friend, who has worked his way through the sorrow and discouragement of the election, said he is starting to feel invigorated by the challenge of the next four years. He quoted another Republican president, who once (in)famously said:

“Bring it on.”

As for me, I’ll quote President Obama, who recently offered these encouraging words:
“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

To that end, I’m going to get up and join thousands of other women on Jan. 21, the day after Inauguration Day, for the Women’s March on Philadelphia, a “sister march” to the main event set for that day in Washington. (That marching family has grown to include more than 150 cities worldwide, from California to Tokyo.)

Why march? To stand up for human rights, the Bill of Rights, equality and respect for all. And to stand against any who attempt to stifle or legislate away any of those rights.
I know just what I’m going to wear that day: my new favorite T-shirt, from ThinkProgress.org. It's emblazoned with a single word:

Resist.

I will wear it proudly.
Links to the marches (and the T-shirt) below:


Enough said.