"A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving."

Albert Einstein

The sea reminds me of prayer. 

No words needed. 

Ebb and flow of thoughts, pouring out, disappearing in the sand as the tide flows over it.

Steady strong softness unwinding and gathering.

Moving with the tide, letting go, letting be-

Seashells toss and turn becoming sand.

Moving with the tide, buoyant letting go, letting...

If I allow myself to feel

Leaves will fall from the trees

the wind would brush them from the ground

out of reach for me to catch, too far from my sight to see

the river would swell  

loosen the rocky soil

Uprooted I would fall in and glide to the sea

Sea salt tears 

tangled white wave hair

Burnt skin I would...

"Faith is unseen but felt

Faith is strength when we feel we have none

faith is hope when all seems lost."

Catherine Pulsifer

...

My brother Marty who has had a rugged journey with stage four pancreatic cancer that metastasized to his liver, who in the last two months endured four rounds of Chemotherapy Folfox (with...

Whew, I am glad I started to let my hair go white back in August I feel I had a head start.

One less thing I do not need to think about.

Artwork found on Facebook

Sacha lives in Seattle where he is freelancing in cinema photography, and his Italian Girlfriend lives in Italy with her family as she studies art in the university. Due to the coronavirus, they do not know when they will see each other again... When Seattle went into Safe Shelter Sacha got in his jeep and drove to California to be with my family....

Soon without a season

we will sit here again

our stories will unravel and some will go unsaid

as hearts can share without words

and where time has no meaning

Gabriel will crawl around our legs, maybe he will be walking. 

Will we be kissing cheeks twice with our friends?

Floating from one moment to another, sticking my fork...

Standing still for a moment

feeling the hands of time rushing over me

Aware of the moment when the clock strikes and when the moon is like a halo above,

gracefully leading me to this day and the next.

Singular moments of time marking me

creating me.

The sun rises ah the dreams a mixture of yesterdays, today and tomorrows.

The...

Sacha’s Sunset from his Deck in Seattle.

The yoke hung on the wooden peg in the barn

boots kicked off not far behind

I walked out with the sweet smell of hay behind me

and an endless blue sky 

Mustard greens with bright yellow hats waving matching the sun

As I walk I carry your kindness with me. 

Each of you who read my blog, who give so much of yourself to me, who are angels on earth...

Thank you. I am grateful for every one of you every day!

As soon as I can organize the letter writing I will get back to you. Thank you for the wonderful response. And to Isabel for...

After reading Isabel's comment on yesterday's blog post I knew what I could do to help in this situation of self sheltering.

Reaching out to those of you who need a friend, if you would like to join me here is how we can reach out together. If you live alone or is a rest home please send me your address to

...

Because you have asked...

Yann is in France lock-downed at our home alone, fifteen minutes away by car Chelsea, Martin and Baby Gabriel are with Martin's parents locked down too. Martin's parents have a big garden and Baby Gabriel is loving discovering Spring. Unfortunately, because of the lock-down Yann cannot see them. They are fine,...

My mother sees blackberries on the dry winter branches,

she feels the sweetness in her hand

and smells the pie baking in the oven knowing soon her grandchildren will gather around her table laughing with blackberry pie in their mouths.

My mother sees goodness in things that are invisible to most of us she believes in love and God and puts her...

“A little different perspective someone just posted. Just a few positive thoughts to contemplate....

There is so much fear, and rightfully so, about COVID-19.

And, what if...” via Elizabeth Gardner Gray

If we subscribe to the philosophy that life is always working out for us, that there is an intelligence...

Back in November Chelsea, Baby Gabriel and I came to Willows to visit our family it was as it always is a wonderful time spent with everyone. We went out to lunch with my brother Marty and my sister in law Suzy. Marty loves children, you know how some people just have that special spark with children, well my brother Marty has that spark. 

”The very last thing we need right now is a mindset of mutual distancing,” the rabbi wrote. “We actually need to be thinking in the exact opposite way. Every hand that we don’t shake must become a phone call that we place. Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern. Every inch and every foot that we...

Nine months old. 

My mother had a dream about Marty and it went like this:

Marty was swimming in the canal against the currents which are continuous, strong and unseen, Though without delay he made his way to the slippery embankment and climbed up to the path.

I told my mom to hold on to that image, that strength that she saw in her son, he made it out...

Due to the coronavirus and the message from President Trump regarding flights from Europe to the USA the French la Vie groups

in April will be postponed until further notice.

If you were planning to stay in our apartment(s) in April I will return your deposits.

Please contact me if you have any questions and or concerns. 

Presently, I am...

Dry branch

Delicate pink blooming 

Blue sky

Tears that don’t dry

 There is a bond of compassion that goes between people when they share something that you have experienced. When you share something that has carved a path within you, there is a silent understanding of knowing that unites one to the other.

Some people who write to me want to know what I did to beat the odds, how did I survive, how did I heal,...

Take time to be with your thoughts,

sit hand in hand with your feelings.

Being available to others.

Embrace family and friends as often as you can.

Smile.

Feel yourself breathing.

Be happy in your shoes.

The baptism of my nephew Warren 13 years ago

Look at your hands, what can...

"Wherever life takes you

bloom with grace."

author unknown.

All of it embrace it

sad

angry

questioning

concerned

bothered

frustrated

depressed

sick

denial

pity

the why me

the why now

shock

betrayal

pain

vomiting

lack of appetite

suckiness

fleeting feeling

rage

Cancer is like taking a lovely rug (yourself) then shaking it out a window and watching every speck of dust (life's work,...

My brother Marty, his wife Suzy, their daughter Patti and sons Andy and Jack.

Photo via Facebook Chico American Legion Baseball

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength

while loving someone deeply gives you courage."

Lao Tzu

.

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep Spring from coming.”

― Pablo Neruda

When I was a child during lent my family would gather at my Grandparent' house. My many Aunts, Uncles and forty-some grandchildren combined.

We would kneel down together in my Grandparent' living room and pray the rosary. My Grandfather would lead it saying the Hail Marys, and Our Father's in Portuguese, we would follow in English.

...

                    Love is a crown worth wearing.

The land surrounds me, there is nothing but the dirt under my feet,

the sky overhead

and my bare body.

Alone.

I imagine what that would be like?

Back in the beginning whenever that was, back when sparks flew and light spoke in the darkness. Far behind the present life yet still living within us, it was then, now and tomorrow. Weren't...

                         Applying Healing Balm

 I imagine the prayers being sent. I imagine them floating above him waiting to be placed on the area where he needs...

Baby loves broccoli, fingers crossed he likes the brocante as much.

He was eight months old a few days ago.

I miss him.

x

A Head Full of Doubts

Avett Brothers

 ^Heros 

^{big and small, young and old.}

     ^{not with capes nor with superpowers} 

^Heroes

^{whose big hearts surround like white oak tree roots,}

^{and actions that create Pacific coast waves} 

^{that cover every inch of fear into calm.}

^Heros

^{that hold us up to the light}

^{where genuine goodness runs as...}

Anchor- verb

The woman sitting next to my brother talked and talked on her cell phone to one person than another I could tell this wasn't her first day of chemotherapy but rather one of many. She talked about her plans for her bathroom, "Do you think tiling the bathroom wall is necessary, maybe we could have a free-standing tub and simply paint the walls... I...