Essays
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Fall boots
“My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.” ~Henry Rollins Cindy La Ferle Among the many delightful things that make me happy in the fall are great boots — lots of great boots. For me, boots aren’t just essential footwear; they’re works of art. If you’ve been following my posts for a while, you know that I love to photograph boots as much as I love to wear them. Cindy La Ferle I’ve been collecting all sorts of boots for years — hiking boots, gardening boots, riding boots, suburban cowgirl boots, snow boots, walking-the-dog boots, and more. Aside from the fact that they provide warmth and protection from the elements, boots…
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Recovering from surgery
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.” ~Jalaluddin Rumi Lake Michigan sunset / Cindy La Ferle On Thursday, I had surgery for the removal and biopsy of a lesion on my lower right eyelid. It was the fourth time a surgeon sliced into my face for skin cancer — so you’d think I’d be used to this sort of thing by now. This time, however, the problem was right next to my eye, making the procedure more creepy — and me more nervous — than usual. And this time, I knew I’d be knocked out with anesthesia, which added another layer of complexity. As my ophthalmic surgeon explained, she…
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Reaching out
“In all areas of life, successful people are the ones who make the effort. They ask for what they want, they initiate plans, they dream up the ideas. They don’t just sit and wait for other people to call or make things happen. The world opens up to you when you extend the invitation.” ~Louise Hay Three Cats Cafe at Leon & Lulu, Clawson / Cindy La Ferle Yesterday was a near-perfect autumn day, thanks in part to an impromptu lunch date with a friend I hadn’t seen in a while. I first met Karen several years ago when she worked for one of my doctors. Now that she’s retired, we keep…
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Keeping my own score
“Nothing has transformed my life more than realizing that it’s a waste of time to evaluate my worthiness by weighing the reaction of the people in the stands.” ? Brené Brown, Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead Silver Beach merry go ’round, St. Joseph / Cindy La Ferle Today’s a big day for college football in my part of the state. Michigan State University (my alma mater) and the University of Michigan (my husband’s alma mater) are gearing up for their big showdown this evening. Everyone I know will be watching. We are, after all, a nation of spectators — and proud…
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Looking for hope in dark times
“Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.” ? Kurt Vonnegut Sunset on Silver Beach, St. Joseph / Cindy La Ferle Every day this year, I’ve been reminding myself to limit my intake of news on current events. Despite our ongoing national turmoil, I keep looking for all that’s beautiful, respectful, compassionate, wise, and loving. I try to block out (or avoid) anything divisive, combative, abusive, or hateful. In other words, maintaining my optimism is…
