At 30,000 feet the Sandia Mountains are beautiful in a completely different way than they are at ground level. As our plane descends into Albuquerque, I can see the dark green pine and fir trees that line the ridges and valleys. The setting sun splashes...
OMO: /ˈjōmō/ (Noun) Joy of missing out. Feeling content with staying in and disconnecting as a form of self-care. Antonym: Fear of missing out (FOMO) My email inbox is full of invitations for holiday get-togethers, school parties and performances, must-try baking recipes, and local holiday-themed activities around the city. When I open...
British sculptor Andy Goldsworthy is known for his unconventional approach to art. In a nine-month project he completed in 2019 at Kansas City’s Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Goldsworthy created a moving art display that he termed a “walking wall.” Under Goldsworthy’s direction, the museum’s campus workers...
We are quick to spot the absence of genuineness in communication. When talking with someone, we notice if they are using words that seem memorized or scripted. Our ears are tuned to hear when someone is hiding themselves by being overly detached and objective or keeping...
Fourteen years ago, my husband and I said, “I do.” That beautiful Saturday morning began with the final fitting for my wedding dress. I stood on a platform surrounded by mirrors as the seamstress began zipping up the dress. I was expecting to hear the smooth hum...
The recipe I am making for dinner calls for a garnish of thin apple slices. Hoping to find an apple, I search the refrigerator and bowl of fruit on the counter, but to no avail. I know the decorative slices of apple aren't necessary, but...
There is a book called The Carrot Seed that I remember reading to the girls when they were little. In the story, a little boy plants a single carrot seed. He is certain it will grow. With each turn of the page, the little boy’s mother...
In the wild, parrots thrive in large, social flocks. But for the 20 million birds who are kept in captivity, such as in people’s homes as pets, these social creatures often spend much of their day alone. Lonely parrots can be unhappy parrots, so some clever...
As I inched along in the drive-through coffee line, I counted 133 partially written blog entries in my drafts email folder. I was not happy to realize I had this many abandoned stories; musings started and left incomplete for one reason or another. In some, I couldn’t...
The picture of the house was taken at night. The moon cast a soft glow on its weathered facade. There was no light coming from within the house. The windows were dark. The blinds were tightly closed. The driveway and walkway were outlined with luminarias; small paper...