• Learning to Love My “Thunder Thighs” – A Short Nonfiction Story

    My poor brother. One day, as our family gathered on my parents’ back porch in the summer, he dared to jokingly say something about my thunder thighs. He didn’t mean any harm by it; he was only lovingly teasing me. But I’d heard about it enough in high school, especially as a cheerleader who had to wear a cheer outfit to school twice a week, and those old wounds hadn’t mended. I suppose even in my early 30s, I was still sensitive when hearing my legs referred to in that way. I leveled him. Of course, I’m sorry for it now. I should have been able to laugh it off, make fun…

  • Lost In The Details —Weekly Photo Challenge

    I really liked what Christopher Martin had to say in today’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge. As an amateur photographer, with a keen interest in “seeing things in spectacular ways,” I am drawn to using my camera as a tool in creativity. I am only 5’1″, so I tend to shoot low to high anyway (I’m coming back in my next life as a tall person), plus I like to play with angles. Here are four shots whereby I got completely lost in the details.

  • These Kids Stopped for (and created) Beauty: A Follow Up

    As a quick follow-up to my post a few days ago entitled “Do You Stop to Appreciate Beauty? This Writer’s Confession,” I discussed a certain experiment The Washington Post and writer Gene Weingarten engaged in a few years ago that won Weingarten a Pulitzer Price. You can read my post by clicking on it above. Also, within the text is a link to the actual article in The Post. My friend Liz linked to a clip this morning on her Facebook page and I was intrigued. I clicked on it and found something that gave me hope. Maybe, just maybe, we can learn from Weingarten and Joshua Bell and the…

  • Remembering Venice

    I think of Venice often, even though it’s been many years since I’ve been there. It was the most unique and amazing place I have ever visited; Italy in general holds a special place in my heart because both my family and my husband’s family are of Italian heritage. Many people say the Grand Canal is the most beautiful street in the world; I think they may be right. Last year, in my Poetry class, we were asked to write a haibun and a haiku that flowed together. As we could choose any subject to write about, Venice was my choice. When I travel, I keep a copious journal, so…