More than half of this year is over, and it’s not too late to change your frame of mind.
Hammering politics is a scary reality. Retirement decisions, healthcare, personal debt, or an uncertain future if living in the U.S. is even reasonable—are some talking points that were, not for many, an issue about 15-20 years ago. Continue reading
Next Spring, when I return to the United States, it will be two years since I left. I have elderly aunts and an uncle in Ohio I want to see. Memories of them in my life have stayed with me through a roller coaster of life’s experiences. I don’t know if they understood why I left Ohio and chose never to live there again, since we were close throughout my formative years. And I don’t know if they will ever really understand why I’m living in Europe, a place to them, as far away as the moon. Yet, I think once they see me, hear my voice, and see my smile—all the doubts that I forgot them will disappear. Continue reading
As I watched the televised opening ceremony for The Obama Presidential Center, my soul smiled. There was a magical nostalgia that brought tears to my eyes. I was reminded of the composure in his voice, as it was with my own father Woodie (who died when I was in my twenties. His long suffering from cancer, called the black lung, forced a painful death at the age of 52). I miss my father, and to be honest, I’m always amazed by adults who still have a father but seem to take for granted that he’ll always be around to ask, “How are you doing?” Continue reading
As the seasons change and nature takes its course, whether it be in our own or a public garden, we witness some foliage, unsightly weeds, flourishing alongside what is intended—beautiful, eye-catching flowers. How do we get rid of these unsightly weeds? Willpower and persistence is the key. When I designed and planted a lush garden at my Portland home later featured in a magazine called Flower Gardens, I was more determined than those pesky weeds.
I’ve come to describe what’s spreading, in America, as unsightly weeds. Continue reading
Life has a way of challenging the way we see the next day.
I dedicate these thoughts to my cousin Robert’s wife, Perdita, who is with the Angels.
Perdita’s bravery facing cancer began with headaches and dizzy spells. Surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation treatments to attack, reduce, and remove as much as possible of the cancerous tumor, became an impossible dream. Perdita took her last breath, in the arms of her husband Robert, on March 14, 2026. Continue reading
What does love mean? The answer will differ depending on who you ask. If someone is alone, emotions will pour out for a partner, a friend, or a family member no longer in their life. If they have children, parental love moves them. Continue reading
A new year, and January is already exhausted from its days consumed with the world’s stress. I imagine this month is warning: “February, be prepared, because not even your Valentine’s Day can heal our hearts.” What will the end of this year look like, with so many days of each month cluttered with uncertainties? Continue reading
Hello. I wanted to send a message for November, but that month just got away from me with contractors, traveling, entertaining guests, and Portuguese classes.
It’s the end of year, and with that, I admit the joy I had as a child takes a bit more effort to find. It’s almost as if the Grinch stole my inner spark. How could that be? It’s true, in a relative way, that the Grinch is the political monster, squashing and sneering at the world’s hopes for peace and goodwill. Continue reading
I’ve had to mentally rearrange the way I look at life and what I value. Tallying up the recent months, the perpetual negative news has eaten away at me. Continue reading
I did not have any expectations moving to Portugal. I knew it would be an adventure absorbing a new country’s culture, existing without a car, and building new friendships. Continue reading