-
Summer sunsets
“Sunsets, like childhood, are viewed with wonder not just because they are beautiful, but because they are fleeting.” ~Richard Paul Evans One of my favorite summer rituals is watching the sun set on Lake Michigan. To fully appreciate a sunset, you have to pause on the beach to admire the fiery color show — and stay long enough to see the sun disappear below the horizon. As other beachcombers gather to watch, and sometimes applaud, there’s a brief but lovely sense of community. Sometimes I’m moved to tears watching the spectacle. As today’s quote suggests, I think of how quickly summertime passes; how every day we have should be savored…
You May Also Like
Good reasons to love winter
Memoir Writing for Mental Health
When things get crazy
-
I’m on the radio tonight
I never know which posts or column links will hit home when I hit “Publish.” So I’m always surprised and happy to hear from readers who follow this blog. Earlier this week, I received an email from radio personality Marie Osborne, who is guest-hosting the Mitch Album Show on WJR (AM 760 on the dial) with Steve Courtney. Marie read my recent Oakland Press column about family heirlooms and why millennials don’t want to inherit them. The topic resonated with her and she invited me to discuss the topic on her show. I’m honored to be asked — and looking forward to it. Tune in to WJR this evening at…
-
Make a note of it
“In this era of email and voice mail and all those things that I didn’t grow up with, a plain old paper letter takes on amazing intimacy.” ~Elizabeth Kostova Who doesn’t love getting a card or letter in the mail? Paper correspondence conveys a depth of sincerity and meaning that online communication can’t match. Texting or emailing can be done on the fly. But it takes extra care and effort to select a card or stationery, write a message, address and stamp the envelope, and get it to a mail box. A couple of my favorite neighbors and I have been snail-mailing all-occasion cards and notes to each other for…
-
Wasting time?
“When I find that I don’t have time for what matters, I will stop doing (and thinking about) things that don’t.” ~Marc and Angel Chernoff I waste a lot of time. Sometimes, at the end of a day, I wonder what the heck I did with all the free hours in my schedule. Meanwhile, I still have a long list of unread books, unwritten articles, unfinished household projects, and so many other things I keep meaning to do. I once read an article suggesting that we list and consider all the habits and routines that prevent us from accomplishing our goals. As my parents used to say: If something is truly…
-
A tourist in your hometown
“Home is everything you can walk to.” ~Jerry Spinelli Remember when taking a summer vacation wasn’t considered a risk? There’s no denying that COVID-19 has changed how and where we travel. And with another variant of the virus on the rise, many people are opting to hang out on their own deck or patio. It’s a good time to rediscover the attractions of your hometown — and reboot your sense of community. Is there an outdoor cafe, farmers’ market, boutique, bakery, park, or nature trail you haven’t visited near your neighborhood? A small change of scenery will do you a world of good — and benefit your local economy. ~CL…
