Essays
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Labor Day weekend
“Summer nearly does me in every year. It’s too hot and the light is unforgiving and the days go on way too long.” ~Anne Lamott, humorist and author Sure, we complain about summer’s heat and humidity, but who really wants to see it end? We tend to think of Labor Day weekend as summer’s farewell — but the season isn’t officially over until the autumnal equinox on September 22. So let’s not rush things. For the next three weeks, I plan to savor every day of summer that’s left. I’ll spend more time outside, for starters, knowing it won’t be long before my garden is buried under fallen leaves. A…
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Looking for dump trucks
“Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson My two-year-old grandson, Liam, is obsessed with dump trucks. One morning earlier this month, I popped him in the stroller and set out on a mission to find a few in our neighborhood. With so many new houses in progress, I was sure we’d spot several dump trucks at work. But no. The daily brigade of construction vehicles hadn’t arrived yet. Disappointed, we returned to the backyard to play with a mini sandbox filled with toy excavators and dump trucks. (Liam is the only two-year-old I’ve met who can say “excavator.”) Suddenly, the little guy’s…
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Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park: “Uncovering Serenity”
My love affair with Japanese gardens began many years ago when I was a student at Cranbrook Summer Theater School in Bloomfield Hills. Later, when I had a home of my own, I created a small Japanese garden in a corner of our back yard. When the editor of Michigan Blue asked me to write a feature story about the newly installed Japanese Garden at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan, I jumped at the chance. This magnificent eight-acre landscape is a work of art — and well worth a visit. You can read my feature here, in the “Travel & Adventure” issue of Michigan…
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How to be a badass encourager
“Be an encourager. The world has plenty of critics already.” ~Dave Willis The hilarious mug in the photo was a gift from dear friends last year. While I don’t think of myself as a badass, I break into a smile each time I fill it with morning coffee. It’s a daily reminder of how good it feels to be supported, validated, and encouraged. Note to self: Find ways to encourage others who might need an extra boost too. After all, everybody’s muddling through the start of another crappy pandemic year. It would help if we’d all be nicer to each other — more encouraging, less critical. In addition to the…
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Keeping the light
“Instead of fighting the darkness, you bring the light.” ~Eckhart Tolle Several of our neighbors have taken down their outdoor holiday lights. Some packed them up and put them in storage on New Year’s Day, following some obscure law that requires us to hunker down in darkness as soon as last year’s calendar hits the recycle bin. Blocks of homes that once displayed a dazzling array of colorful lights have gone dark again — as if the carnival suddenly packed up and left town. In my view, neighborhoods and shopping districts aglow with holiday lights are, pardon the pun, one of the highlights of winter — a season that doesn’t…
