Dearest Reader!

Call to action: Remember the sound of silence? Do you miss it? I do.

Dear Reader!

OK, before I go on, please humor me: Take a moment, look at the image above, and imagine that the skillet of bacon goodness above is sizzling on your stove, in your kitchen. Now, can you smell the heady scent of smoky deliciousness? Is your mouth beginning to water expectantly? Are you anxiously waiting to take your first bite, and another, and another of a hot, crispy strip?

I can. It is. I am!

Anyhoo, this scrumptious image of sizzling, crisp bacony wonderfulness reminds me fondly of a privileged friendship I had once with Minnie Shafton.

Minnie chose me (Yea!). And although she was 36 years older than me and of a different race and religion, a deep and memorable friendship bloomed between Minnie and I. Her day—and mine—was incomplete if we did not speak to each other at least once. It was a friendship that we would enjoy for 15 years!

I miss you Minnie.

Sadly for me, Minnie died in 2010 at the age of 84—and I lost something extraordinary: a friend who made me to be part of their everyday.

[Rain, rain go away. Come again another day.]

Still, even today whenever the aroma of bacon beckons to me, I can’t help but think of Minnie, because she always said:

“When I come back in my next life, I am coming back as a Gentile, and the very first thing I am going to do is: eat bacon!”

So when the dog bites, and the bee stings, and I’m feeling sad… I say, BACON—and I think of Minnie and smile!

Call to action: Do you love bacon? What food reconnects you to somewhere in time or reminds you of someone special?

Other things that make me very happy: Peonies and Don Williams.

Dear Readers!

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, when I”m feeling sad, I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don’t feel so bad. ~ My Favorite Things (a song)

Last Saturday, David, one of my most favorite people ever, got a new puppy, a 10-week old boxer. And while I’m decidedly not a dog — or a cat — person, I can’t help but think, “Isn’t he absolutely the cutest?!”

AHH, all babies are magical.

Just looking at him makes me smile — BIG!

So today I’m sharing Scout with you. I hope he makes you smile too.

Call to action: Just look at him! Enjoy gazing into the face of the cutest little puppy ever!

Happy Wednesday!

Peonies are a ravishing flower. R-A-V-I-S-H-I-N-G!

My first encounter with this luscious, sexy flower was one hot, miserable day on 42nd Street in New York City (NYC). Too much concrete and asphalt. Too much sun. Too many cars and honking horns. Too many people. Too much everything. Too much…

In my desperate rush to escape the madness that is NYC city streets and get back to the quiet haven of my hotel room, the beauty of this flower stopped me stone, cold dead in my tracks. I was transfixed — yes, transfixed by the stunning beauty of this flower.

I still am. It is undoubtedly my favorite flower. And it reminded me then and reminds now that beauty is everywhere if we slow down and look, even outside a little grocery store on a corner of 42nd Street in NYC.

Call to Action: Tell us where or when you have chanced upon unexpected beauty? What impact did it have in your life?

Happy Friday!

I want you to meet a very important man in my life. From the first few measures, before he even uttered a single word, I knew, I knew, that this was the beginning of a lifelong, beautiful love affair.

It was September 1980. We “met” on one of those glorious, but already hot as you know what early afternoons, in Florida as I was flitting about in my Datsun 210 with the radio on doing what I don’t even remember. But I remember him.

Over the years, he has never failed me. When life overwhelms or shatters my heart, I know that I can turn to him to quiet the ugly stuff that rages inside — instantly. What I value he values. When I feel misunderstood, he understands. He is solace for me.

So naturally, I want to share this love with everyone. Let me introduce you to my favorite musical artist of all time — the Gentle Giant, the superlative Don Williams. And this is the very first song he crooned to me:

It’s been over 30 years, and yes, I still love him! And although life has been so very disappointing. Guess What?!

I still believe in music / I still believe in magic / I still believe in babies / I still believe in mom and dad / I still believe in love / I BELIEVE.

Call to action:  What do you still believe in? What musician or song speaks to your soul? How do you use music to soothe when life is just too much? Please share a little of yourself below.

Happy Wednesday!

When the dog bites, when the bee stings, and I’m feeling sad…

but it is absolutely stunning outside, I find myself the tallest, oldest, and greenest tree, I lie beneath it, I look up, and I bask in the wonder of dappled sunlight dancing playfully on my skin. And I imagine that God is sprinkling goodness down on me.

Call to action: Open up and share what brings you close to God, infinity, or whatever you call it?

NOTE: This picture was taken in Victoria, B.C., one of the prettiest places in the world, several years ago. I found such immense beauty in the twisty, gnarly branches blanketed in a patina of lichen.

Happy Wednesday!

There is a great movie line from the movie Rise of the Planet of the Apes, which is a beautiful love story, thank you very much: “Caesar is home.”

Call to action: My mum has always been home for me! Come on, I dare you! Come clean and share what, where, and/or who is home for you.