Have you ever heard of Horace Walpole? Neither had I until this morning after Googling the origin/definition of the word serendipity. It turns out it was coined by Horatio Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford in 1754. It’s interesting that a word…
I don’t mind saying that the elegant trunk, twisting branches and feather-like leaves of the Japanese maple tree occupy my imagination and also intimidate me. I walk this route often, and for some reason I never noticed this gorgeous creation. Maybe it…
Fall is my second favorite season, summer will always be my first. What can I say? I love the warmth of the sun. I do have to admit that the cooler temperatures of fall make long walks and bike rides…
My given name is Beth, not Elizabeth. Throughout my school years teachers constantly asked me this: “Are you sure your real name isn’t Elizabeth?” “Yes, my name is Beth. Just Beth, Beth Lee.” It’s an interesting thing to have a…
Lately I’ve been thinking about the importance of being “present.” Some people call it mindfulness others call it being aware; in either case I think it means making the most out of what we have and being open to the…
We’ve all experienced times in our life when it feels like everything is going in the wrong direction and you can’t turn around without facing another obstacle that seems impossible to overcome. Then, when you least expect it all of the…
More and more often I find myself doodling in my journals in addition to writing. My mind starts to wander and all of the sudden my pen lands on the page opposite of my words and a form that must have been hiding…
My oldest two kids are 1 year, 2 months, and 28 days apart in age and there is a five year difference between my youngest two. I think we started calling Jeff and Katie “the big kids” on the day Christian…
Friday night I went to a drum circle. I learned about drum circles a few months ago. Never in a million years did I think that I would be comfortable sitting among a group of strangers while playing a drum…
My family moved nine times before I was fifteen which meant that every couple of years I left my school and friends behind in one town and began the adventure of making new friends in the next one. I can…