Yesterday Steve’s back was bothering him, so I took our quarantine walk alone. I walked more slowly than usual, stopping to take photos of small moments that caught my eye. I felt freer to do this knowing I wasn’t holding Steve up. I would have …
It’s been a long time since I’ve talked on the phone. I mean really talked on the phone. While at one time in my life, a ringing phone sounded an invitation, quite a while ago it morphed into an intrusion. In high school, I logged …
Spending so much time at home sheltering in place, I’ve realized how much “stuff” we have and how little of it we put to use. Before the virus, I was too busy to spend time taking stock of what fills our closets, drawers and shelves, …
This weekend, facing double deprivation, I was feeling low. Not only are we dealing with Covid 19, but now the air in Berkeley is frequently unsafe because of the fires raging north and south of here—to say nothing of the crucible of sadness, worry and …
Since March we’ve been spending four or five days every other week at our place in Rancho Navarro, just beyond the Anderson Valley, off Route 128. Jonah and I bought the land 20 years ago as a mother-son investment in family togetherness; and over the …
Watching a video of Alice Waters preparing a vegetarian lunch, I was most impressed by her pleasure in the process. She seemed to enjoy every moment and phase of the food preparation, from selecting and appreciating each vegetable, then peeling, cutting or chopping her selections …
Last year at this time, I would not have thought it possible that five small rectangles on my computer monitor could make me so happy. But there we were, friends from our Brownie days of so long ago, together again, not in person but on …
Joining the Living Room Choir last year fulfilled my lifelong wish of finding a home for my voice nestled among other voices. I’ve always loved to sing. By the time I was in third grade, I’d learned the words to every verse of every Christmas …
We were stopped for roadwork on Route 128, waiting behind a short line of cars. Between Boonville and Cloverdale, 128 is a sinuous, narrow two lanes, with enough twists and turns to challenge my composure. I often close my eyes for the 40-minute drive, looking …
On his birthday this year, Jonah organized a horseback ride. Everyone quickly agreed to the excursion, including me. While as a kid, I was terrified of horses, I began to feel drawn to them about a decade ago. When I’m in France I volunteer at …