• Alexa and Edna St Vincent Millay

    Versailles My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night: But, ah, my foes and oh, my friends, It gives a lovely light. Edna St. Vincent Millay What does a photo taken at Versailles, Alexa, and Edna St. Vincent Millay have in common? Well, the photo is straightforward. The quote from Millay…

  • Thanks And Gratitude

    Living in a state of gratitude is the gateway to grace. Arianna Huffington I’ve been contemplating the distinction between thanks and gratitude. I can sense your sigh and whisper about semantics. Just hang in there for a second. As we approach Thanksgiving, it might be worthwhile to delve deeper into these distinctions in our daily…

  • Finding Grace

    I don’t understand the mystery of grace-only that it meets us where we are and does not leave us where it found us. Anne Lamott Looking out over the lake at sunset has become one of my favorite places to sit and reflect. As the sun slowly descends over the water, painting the sky with…

  • Autumn Reflections

    Life is a process, and not a station. Ralph Waldo Emerson Autumn is here! It’s a short-lived season, fleeting as it transitions from the warmth of summer to the crispness of winter. It has always seemed to me that once Halloween arrives, the year is gone in a blur. One moment we’re carving jack-o’-lanterns, the…

  • Less is More

    Less is more only when more is too much. Frank Lloyd Wright This morning, I found myself reminiscing about Paris. For me, Sacre Coeur Basilica resonated deeply with my heart in a way that the grandeur of Notre Dame couldn’t. Similarly, the Musee d’Orsay captivated my imagination far beyond the meandering halls and awe-inspiring art…

  • The Journey to Self-Discovery

    I was sitting alone on the patio of a favorite restaurant, basking in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun. I sipped a refreshing spritzer from a tall, chilled glass, its bubbles dancing to the surface and complementing the hot summer day. As I relaxed, watching the world go by, a young woman walked…

  • Navigating Life Changes

    It happened to me the year I retired. You reach a certain age, and it all kicks in: Social Security, Medicare, and a fondness for hydrangeas. Sigrid Nunez Of course, I had anticipated that my husband and I would eventually retire. We would face the challenge of coexisting in our cozy, small condo, day and…

  • The Lost Art of Letter Writing

    There is a charm to letters and cards that emails and smses can’t ever replicate, you cannot inhale them, drawing the fragrance of where they have been mailed from, the feel of paper in your hand bearing the weight of the words they contain within. Kiran Manral A friend was telling me about a book…

  • Cherishing Friendships

    When we’re older, let’s meet every Sunday at four in the cute little cafe we love. Let’s laugh at our foibles, our mishaps, and then release our mistakes to above. Donna Ashworth I am grateful for my friends. We aren’t able to meet in a charming cafe in New Orleans, but we still manage to…