Fall has arrived! Everything nature has worked all year to produce is either in full fruit or has been harvested. It is the finale of the symphony. Both thrilling and nostalgic, as it all comes to a close. Not unlike life, we work so hard to finish something very important to us and upon completion we celebrate and then go into a funk realizing the next challenge is on the horizon. Nature sets a better example. She rests.
Read MoreThe fiery early fall sunsets and this dahlia have a lot in common. A celebratory symbol of a spectacular summer and a bountiful harvest. This corner of the planet has so many special gifts: Water, forest, mountains, and rich ancient alluvial soils left by our glacial and volcanic past. We have it all. Savor every moment in our blessed region.
Read MoreWe are approaching the grand finale of summer. Trees are heavy with fruit, flower gardens filled with riotous color and even the smallest vegetable garden can feed a family of ten or more. If you are looking for something to be grateful for this might be it. Nature in all her glory. And in the Pacific NW, I don’t think it gets any better than this visual symphony. There is so much joy to be found in this remarkable state of grace.
Read MoreOur voluptuous summer months have arrived. Rich foliage, bountiful blossoms, garden dinners, and the deep healing of the sun on our bare skin. Sometimes it’s just the simple things that make our lives the best. As the poet, Mary Oliver, once asked in her poem, The Summer Day: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Read MoreSummer is here! This is why we live here. The beauty is breathtaking. There is a lot going on in our world but to ignore this gift would be folly. I always feel that we are in a state of grace during these months of warmth and bounty. So, let’s all take a breath and be grateful for all that is good in our lives, today and always.
Read MoreIt looks like our early summer has arrived in a chariot of fire! We are desperate heat seekers at this point of the year and yet, even we NW natives have our limits. The U.N. said this morning we are approaching the key warming limit for our precious planet. So, as we remodel or build our new homes let us all keep energy efficiency top of mind, plant trees in our yards to absorb carbons and maybe even do a little vegetable garden for an adventure. It will never be one thing or person but the collective effort of all that will move us forward. Happy Summer!
Read MoreI would call this a reluctant Spring. All the signs are there as the trees bloom and the green shoots erupt from the earth. However, the temperatures don’t match the season. It feels like we are mimicking Mother Nature. The economic climate has been less than attractive but people have decided to get on with their lives having faith that things will normalize while moving forward with their hopes and dreams. The human spirit is a glorious thing to witness.
Read MoreWhy are we so anxious for Spring? Hope, renewal, rebirth, green, delicious scents and sun! Reading on a warm bench outside, planting our gardens, cooking with fresh vegetables, leaving the door open for fresh air. Walking ourselves and the dog with only one layer on and greeting our long hibernating neighbors. It is often the simple luxuries in life that are the most wonderful. Happy Spring!
Read More"Where there is love, there are always miracles.” - Willa Cather
It seems that through our acts of kindness and love our hearts expand and our lives get bigger.
Sometimes it isn’t the easiest thing on the menu but we all sleep a little easier having risen to the occasion. Cheers to all of us for stepping up to the plate when called.
I hope you had a wonderful Valentine's Day!
Read MoreHappy New Year! I’d like to begin with this quote from the Dalai Lama: “Let us recognize the precious nature of each day.” We all go fast and it’s hard to remember to take a breath sometimes. However, we have a new year in front of us and, if nothing else, we can pledge to embrace this gift called life and do our best to engage in what we are called to do. So, cheers to us all living our best lives!
Read MoreWe are approaching the end of a challenging year. Health, politics, and each of our personal stories. And as bumpy as the ride seems at times, I find the engine that always keeps me going is the magic of gratitude. I am blessed by the love of my family and friends, wonderful colleagues, and incredible neighbors. And, I get to call the magnificent Pacific northwest my home. Lucky me. I sincerely wish you all a glass full of joy and gratitude! Happy Holidays!
Read MoreAs we approach Thanksgiving and the holiday season, I am reminded of a quote by the great warrior Seneca: “Nothing is more honorable than a grateful heart.”
To be grateful makes us all more tolerant, more kind, and ultimately more loving toward one another. This is the perfect time of year to reclaim those attributes we all have but sometimes forget. I am so grateful for my wonderful family, colleagues, and clients. Lucky me! Happy Thanksgiving!
Read MoreThe Endless Summer is coming to a close. A sense of relief as the air cools. We are so blessed in the Pacific Northwest as we hold fast to our emerald green spot on the planet. The rains will come and aren’t we lucky? I was asked in an interview what one of my favorite things was about our region and I answered, “The smell of wet dirt.” It speaks of abundance and assurance that spring will, in fact, come again with all its beautiful promise. When in doubt about life, always be grateful. It is the antidote for most concerns.
Read MoreWe are in the midst of summer’s bounty. Gorgeous fruits, vegetables, and armloads of garden blooms. It is the redemption and reward for the winter months we endure. And for this, I am very grateful. Gratitude is key to a more joyful life, and we all deserve more joy! May the summer be with you!
Read MoreSummer heat has arrived. The housing market has adjusted to new metrics but remains healthy, and the Pacific NW is at its best. These glorious months of sunshine are the reason most of us live here! I am grateful and energized by the beauty. Here’s hoping that you do whatever brings you joy in these magical months.
Read MoreOur epically rainy spring has produced a verdant jungle in the Pacific NW. A reminder of what gracious abundance feels like as our gardens bear fruit. We are so very fortunate in this region of the world. It’s always an opportunity to be our best selves and share with those that have less. Not unlike our flourishing gardens, we expand as people when we explore the boundaries of who we can be. Happy Summer!
Read MoreCool, rainy, and unexpected equals lush, green, and glorious. Not unlike life when the uncomfortable creates a beautiful breakthrough. Covid-19 has been really uncomfortable for all of us and tragic for some. My silver lining has been my neighborhood gathering every Friday night outdoors regardless of the weather for over two years and celebrating life as we now know it intimately: precious and fragile. We can find the good if we look for it.
Read MoreIn 1623 there was a rare striped tulip named Semper Augustus that captured the fancy of wealthy investors in The Netherlands. At one point a single bulb garnered the same price as a home. It was a moment of hysteria that caused an economic upheaval when it was discovered that the tulips beauty was caused by a disease as it withered and died. This story caused me to consider the concept of assigned value. Sometimes we assign value to the most sparkling thing in the room and yet the quietly beautiful item in the corner is often far more important and valuable. Let’s concentrate on what actually counts in life: kindness, the goodness in others, home and family, our health, friends, our beloved pets and the potential that each day offers us. Happy Spring!
Read MoreSpring is inches away. We made it. The perfume of blossoming trees, warm air, blue skies, and more daylight. We dream of these things at the 48th parallel north. This is the season when the heavens opened up for the early celestial navigators as they ploughed the Pacific coastline. We too can breathe the renewed air after many winter storms and think clearly once again as we continue our journeys.
Read MoreThe heart is regarded as the center of a person’s thoughts and emotions, especially love, compassion, and loyalty. With our hand over our heart we pledge allegiance to our flag, with passion in our heart we go to battle for our tribe, and with our heart in our hands we take a vow until death us do part. And most importantly, this seemingly simple holiday is a chance for all of us to express our love to those most dear to us. Happy Valentine’s Day!
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