Welcome to a journey of tending hearts & mending life.

My overall purpose of this blog is to create a connection between the adventure that I experience, and you, wherever you are in the world. It’s a slow, circuitous journey connecting us in ways invisible. For me, connection often comes in story form, threaded through a core memory of my life. I invite us to take a minute, or ten… connect with your self, to take in the views of our surroundings, to breathe in memories, and on occasion, take a siesta. Verandas are social places, and sacred spaces…a perfect place for tending hearts & mending life.

Be kind to people. Not because they’re nice, but because you are.

Stephen Colbert

My veranda vista has changed. From rippling blue waters that stretch to far horizons, to shades of green with patches of purple, yummy yellow, and rendezvous red. This secluded, postage stamp-sized-paradise has been an oasis for meeting transition.

Returning home from a four month journey carries a ton of emotion, right along with the suitcases, and souvenirs. Initially, one foot is still on board the ship, while the other one is navigating the practicalities of “being home”; empty fridge, loads of laundry, mountains of mail neatly sorted into multiple bags begging for attention. Given the already dramatic end of this journey, these practical task seemed to have been plenty. But, then comes the shock. (Wait, another one?!!)

For reasons beyond human logic, one company had arbitrarily canceled the house insurance, a credit card company thought it was fun to change cards, and yet, a third company updated their website nullifying current data. The threat of overwhelm forces one to regain “land legs” quickly! Oh, and did I mention that there was also a medical issue to attend to, and a pending book launch?

This is where our postage stamp-sized-paradise became the bridge to truly “being home”. Early one morning, shortly after arriving here, still feeling the rocking motion of the ship on the water, I found myself bleary eyed, and barefoot, standing on the dew kissed grass staring at the budding iris. The early morning light filtering through the trees brightend the soon-to unfurl buds. A gentle breeze rocked them. All around me, the sweet song of birds twittering awakend me to reality. I am being grounded. My roots to home are reattaching. A sense of purpose, and ambition rise up from my quivering courage. A rendezvous with transition guided me across the gangway to my paradise oasis. I am home!

THREE VISTAS

Flora and fauna, all a part of life in Paradise, Debut of my Children’s Book, May 14, 2026.

TWO THOUGHTFUL THREADS

• A book launch is a celebration of success for writing and publishing a book. Or, as one wise child mused, “it’s like the books’ birthday, and we all have to help it grow up!”
• Taking a pause to observe nature can be beneficial to my own social interactions. Watching various birds wait their turn for the feeder, (or not), or squirrels calculate their clever approach to the same bird feeder, is not only humorous, but also a reflection of how living beings develop character. In times of upheaval, do you also connect with nature?

ONE HISTORICAL SNIPPET

In Ancient China, on May 25, 240 BC, astrologers and chroniclers recorded the sighting of a “broom star”. It appeared in the eastern sky, moving north, and then was visible in the western sky. This Historical Snippet is significant because this is the first positively confirmed sighting of Halley’s Comet in recorded human history.