results in a far more uncomfortable conversation than the one we’d been avoiding in the first place. It is a natural human inclination to seek harmony and avoid disrupting peace. However, it is essential to recognize that true harmony arises from understanding and clear communication, not from the absence of confrontation. Addressing problems promptly and with candor not only can prevent a boiling point moment, but it also strengthens our relationships and builds trust. Where in your life might there be lines that need drawing, or conversations that must be initiated? “Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” – Ambrose ... posted on Apr 19 2024 (2,702 reads)

the irony of focusing my heavy camera on airy mountain clouds while trudging along those steep trails to our purely self-imposed destination. As I viewed the images that I had made, I thought back to those hikes and wondered, were the clouds gently bemused by my continuous striving against gravity as I scrambled over and around the rocks that impeded my forward progress? Can I perhaps treat challenges more as clouds than as rocks? I realized that I have that choice of mindset: I can view life’s challenges as rocks to be pushed uphill like Sisyphus. Alternatively, I can step into a more cloudlike mindset, one without sharp boundaries, that is ephemeral, that has the ability to sh... posted on May 9 2024 (235 reads)

following is an excerpt from Christian McEwen’s In Praise of Listening (October 2023, Bauhan Publishing).] Alice Cozzolino is an extraordinary cook; one might almost call her a “food whisperer.” For most of her life, she has thought of herself as “one who feeds.” It is a skill that reaches back to very early childhood.  When Alice was a girl, she and her mother would make pasta e fagiole every week. The night before, the two of them would sit together in the kitchen sorting beans. Her mother would pour them out across the table, the pea beans and the lentils and the navy beans, all mixed up together, making one pile for Alice and another for her... posted on May 20 2024 (1,384 reads)

no vestibule in our front hall, no overhang to stand under when the rain was coming down. It was hard to keep mud from tracking inside, onto the floors, and up the carpeted stairs. But it seemed a small concession to reorient our lives; we could make room in our inn. Once, our northside neighbor sent us an email listing our many faults: the pile of composted manure in our driveway we were taking too long to shovel into our gardens; our laundry line that was disturbing his “quality of life” when he looked out his window and saw it; the Christmas wreath that, in his words, we “left up until August.” Ah yes, we were guilty as charged on all three counts, especially ... posted on May 27 2024 (3,833 reads)