Yesterday was Solstice, some call it Yule. Last night I lit the last candle on our menorah in the dining room as my wife recited a prayer in Hebrew. A decorated tree waits in the living room, glowing softly as it waits a few days until Christmas, which is followed every year by Kwanza – […]
Toward Brighter Days Read More »
Cautions for Co-use! When e-cigarettes arrived in the US, around 2008, I remember thinking that, if regulated, e-cigs might be a useful tool in tobacco cessation. But I had some serious concerns about whether the manufacturers would be content to sell a smoker e-cigs for a few months – as a quit tool. “Wild Wild
Smoking and Vaping Read More »
This winter was harsher than the past few winters, and I don’t think that I’m the only one ready for some change. When I found some photos and videos of my goldfish pond on my phone, they really changed how I felt. Watching my fish swim around, see the frogs and lillies, remembering the sounds
Right Around the Corner Read More »
Legality & Lethality NPR, on the first day of Black History Month 2024, posted this timely story about the proposed Federal ban of menthol as a tobacco flavoring. You can listen to it by clicking the arrow below. Some of the glaring health disparities evident today are directly and indirectly a result of the prevalence
Lavender is brilliant and (for me) she’s local, too! I’ve known her and her family for several years and I will acknowledge my personal bias. Lavender is lovely! You don’t need to agree, but I suspect that you will. Here’s Lavender getting the “Golden Buzzer” to send her straight through to the finals in season
Meditation and mindfulness are both wildly popular and widely misunderstood. While I am not an expert on the subject, I have personally reaped great benefits from a daily discipline in the past. But I became complacent and wandered away from my practice. For reasons that remain a puzzle to me, I have been slow to
Solstice greetings to you and yours! As we near the shortest (and darkest?) day of the year – may we look forward with a deep sense of hope about the brighter days ahead. And as nature marks this point in its cycle of seasons, let us seize the season and claim the brightness ahead as
Brighter Days Ahead Read More »
I believe one of the “pearls among the rubble” of this pandemic will be that we choose to be more intentional and compassionate as we return to connecting with others. Maybe we could even try to be more like a Buddhist monk! However you wish, please connect! bring your courage and your hope. Both are
Prepare to be get schooled by a class of kindergartners who are well-versed in the practices of mindfulness and breathing techniques. Julie Bayer-Salzman and Josh Salzman were inspired by their son and his class who proved to have a lot of wisdom on the matter. They spent a day with the kids and families involved
9/11 is a day that we will never forget. Janice has a very special reason to remember that day and the truth that silenced the “little voice in my head.”
Sometimes I look and do not see. Often it’s because I’m hurrying or have my eyes in one place while my mind is elsewhere. I can look at something without really being there. And that’s when I miss out on some of the real beauty in this world. So, maybe this post is about slowing
I saw this quote recently – “You’re not going to master the rest of your life in one day. Just relax. Master the day. Then just keep doing that every day.” I immediately liked the quote and the sentiment behind it. But after a little pondering, I thought I’d re-write it, and since no one
Master this Moment Read More »
Over the weekend on three occasions in three different places, I saw grackles. Of course, at this time of year, seeing birds is not unusual, but grackles aren’t that common around here. This week I rediscovered a small collection of labradorite stones that I had stashed away. I observed a similarity between grackles and labradorite.
Of Grackles, Labradorite, and People Too! Read More »
I guess this may be a continuation of an idea I wrote about recently. Sometimes it seems like the woods woos us to come, to look, to listen, to wander and ponder. So does it seem to you that sometimes hope is hiding? Requiring you to move, to go, to stoop, to kneel, to stretch?
Today Holds Gifts Today holds gifts for those with hearts to see. Capture one of the beautiful moments in this gift of a day. Allow that beautiful moment to sink into your head and your heart. Savor it, relish it, feel it, smell it breathe it in, hold that moment… Recall it with gratitude throughout
