Blue splattered paint

Leave It Like It Is

There is a song from the late 1980s by David Wilcox called “Leave It Like It Is.” https://www.google.com/search?q=leave+it+like+it+is+lyrics&rlzThe song is about a jar of blue paint that falls off a kitchen table and breaks. In the splattered mess, the homeowner sees beauty. Instead of cleaning up the spill, the paint is left to dry. What…

Many Hats of Motherhood

Many Hats of Motherhood

There’s no end to the many hats of motherhood. Mothers must be part chameleons or magicians. How else could we change our demeanor or adapt to the needs of others so quickly? Superman at least had a phone booth to change in. Moms have to switch gears on the fly. One minute the police cap…

Brass ring carousel

The Brass Ring

“The brass ring only comes around once” is a saying I’ve always loved. The phrase was designed to attract people to ride carousels long ago. The explanation is simple. Ride the carousel, reach for a ring, and if you’re lucky enough to get the brass ring, you receive your next ride for free. I love…

Donate Life Month

Donate Life Month

April is National Donate Life Month, and National Pediatric Transplant Week is April 23-29, 2023. Donate Life is the national registry for matching organ, eye, and tissue donors and recipients. The Be The Match organization pairs bone marrow transplant recipients with non-related donors worldwide. As a parent of both a bone marrow transplant recipient and…

tree-hugging

A Tree-Hugging Hippy

Hip-hip Hooray! This Saturday, April 22nd, is Earth Day. I don’t think of myself as a tree-hugging hippy, but I value the Earth and its natural resources. Earth Day reminds us of our planet’s importance and that we must take care of it. The actions of humans are the cause of environmental issues. We are…

Oreos and Love

Oreo cookies in our house are more than a cookie. Those little round cream-filled treats are a small and special sign of my affection for my girls. Since they were little, Oreos have been a favorite of theirs. They love being surprised by what flavor they’ll find in the jar. The originals are a solid…

Spring Breakers in search of a Chuckwalla

In Search of a Chuckwalla

Over Spring Break, my daughter’s friends decided to take a road trip. They were in search of a chuckwalla. With little money and an equal amount of thought or planning, the group went off to tent camp in the desert. Mesquite, Nevada, was their destination, and finding a chuckwalla was their mission. Why there, and…

Fish seen snorkeling

Snorkeling Through Life

Snorkeling in the ocean fascinates me, not just the visual beauty of marine life, but the whole experience. In the underwater world there is a vibrancy that comes to life. There is so much to experience right below the surface without having to dive deep. Living with as much awe out of the ocean as…

Railroad tracks into the unknown

Into the Unknown

On a hike last summer, I came across abandoned railroad tracks previously used by miners. Their abrupt end got me thinking. There are times when the path we are traveling on in life ends and we must venture into the unknown. We have to figure out another way. The challenge becomes identifying a new route…