Category: Inspiration
Favorite Books of 2025
2025 started out with the second phase of my breast cancer treatments: radiation therapy. Each day in January, I took the train to and from Harvard Square, then walked in the bitter cold to and from Mt. Auburn Hospital. Sitting on a comfy travel cushion (those Red Line seats are hard!), I settled in with…
Favorite Books of 2024
Books were especially important to me this past year. They became a much-needed distraction from the health challenges I faced. Books brought me solace and quiet, took me to other worlds, and kept me calm. In October 2024, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I received the news on the telephone in a Provincetown hotel…
Favorite Books of 2023
In the midst of a very busy year (we moved to a new home), I managed to read 30 books. As I look back, I see a big divide between the books I really enjoyed and those I was disappointed with. Another thing that stands out is the books recommended by friends. I dove into…
Igniting a Creative Flow
It’s been a busy year and I’ve had very little time for my artwork. When weeks turned into months, I began to really miss that creative energy. Towards the end of August, I finally got myself outside to paint at Mount Auburn Cemetery. I went to Willow Pond and immediately felt a spark of inspiration…
Favorite Books of 2022
I read 43 books this past year. It was a great mixture, too. Some I loved, some I disliked. I am a member of two book clubs, which provides me with ample variety: UMass-Boston and the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. Then, there are the recommendations from friends and family. Keep them coming! Here are my…
Painting Azaleas at Auburn Lake
I’ve always admired a pair of azalea bushes at Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Auburn Lake. Their remarkable magenta and rose colors astound me. A Dawn Redwood tree provides a sheltering border. I love to paint in this quiet, magical area, especially in springtime. It’s a very relaxing spot, very meditative. The only sounds I hear are…
Favorite Books of 2021
I’ve loved books my whole life. When I was growing up, my mother took us to the library each week during the summer. As an adult, a lot of my reads for many years were books related to design, art and teaching. Once in a while, I go on a mystery binge. Fiction, non-fiction, historical…
Welcome to Florida: Acclimating
Snippets of life since moving to Florida… June 29 – Hello Florida! We arrived safe and sound in Naples late this afternoon! As I write this, I am feeling exhausted but happy. It was a long journey (4 days), taking us through areas of the eastern seaboard neither of us had ever seen. Much of…
Journey to South Africa – Week 2
The first part of our 2-week journey to South Africa was spent doing volunteer work at Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Daktari Bush School. We then entered “safari mode” and went to Kruger National Park. These pictures are accompanied by brief narratives that describe what we experienced. Day 9 – Oct. 21, 2016 Daktari Bush School…
