They’re back — the harbingers of death. I step outside into the twilight and hear the soft rustle of wings. Shadows ride the thermals above me. One descends and lands on the top of a pine tree. Another follows. Soon,…
I pack the last suitcase and set it near the others with a happy sigh. Gulf Shores, Alabama, offers white-sand beaches, thrilling dolphin sightings, balmy weather, and a chance to play tennis nearly every day. Still, it isn’t home. I…
Spring has a way of tossing wild possibilities at our feet — the kind that can leave us breathless before we even realize we’ve started running. Gulf waves roll in with a steady hush. The beach stretches empty in both…
One minute I had a front tooth. The next minute I didn’t. I was standing in the bathroom—not eating, not flossing my teeth—when it suddenly fell out. I truly can’t remember what I was doing seconds before because the shock…
There’s a faint crunch beneath my feet when I walk across the condo floor. My black pants are decorated with sandy paw prints. My hair hasn’t obeyed me for days. And the funny thing is — I don’t care. There’s…
I didn’t watch much TV as a child, but I remember the loyal Lassie and Flipper, the dolphin who could solve nearly anything with a flick of its tail. In those shows, problems wrapped up neatly in thirty minutes. Goodness…
When I was still teaching, I used to fantasize about retirement. In my imagination, it was a magical land of unlimited, unscheduled time — a bright tunnel of endless hours stretching toward infinity. In that perfect world, I could take…
Our mini goldendoodle, Sunnie, burst into our lives, bringing along a surprising number of life lessons and gentle truths. Here’s a sampling of Sunnie’s guide to living well. Take time to stretch. Right after Sunnie gets out of her crate,…
This will be my husband Frank’s and my 50th Valentine’s together. In honor of the day, we had planned to exchange the Valentine’s Day cards I save each year — why spend money buying new ones? — and settle in…
January started out fresh and new, with crisp snow that made me eager to pull out the cross-country skis. For a while, winter delivered exactly what it promised: bright mornings, clean trails, and a quieter pace. But now, facing another…