“Tell me about a favorite café, diner, luncheonette (do they use that word anymore?), coffee shop.” — I’m working through the Natalie Goldberg deck of writing subjects. Each card in this world-renowned author and zen teacher’s Deck contains a writing topic on one side and a short lesson on the reverse, delivered in Natalie’s honest, heartfelt urgency. “This is my wish for you:” she says. “[T]hat you…

“Tell me about yesterday.” — The day I wrote about Card #5 from Natalie Goldberg’s Deck of writing “nudges,” it was February 3rd. Now I’m on Card #6, and it’s almost a whole month later. My original plan was to write into the subject of one card per day. Ish. Now a whole month has…

My wife thought they got the files mixed up. — This is a picture of my wife, Elena Terrone. She has been chosen by our representative, Assemblywoman Michaelle C. Solages, to be honored as a Woman of Distinction for a ceremony taking place on March 19, 2023 at the nearby high school. Unless you know her personally, she’s nobody to…

IT IS CREATED BY OUR ACTIONS. — The saying goes, “You can’t take it with you.” And with regard to our body, our possessions, our beloved family and friends, they’re right. The diamonds and the drinking buddies stay behind. But there’s one thing we do take with us. It’s the only thing we own: Our actions. It’s…

Give me four memories of silence — I’m working through the Natalie Goldberg deck of writing subjects. Each card in this world-renowned author and zen teacher’s Deck contains a writing topic on one side and a short lesson on the reverse, delivered in Natalie’s honest, heartfelt urgency. “This is my wish for you:” she says. “[T]hat you…

I told everyone in my previous post (yesterday, February 1, 2023) that I had discovered a new way of thinking about my commitments for the day. You can read about it here. That post featured this photo I took of the mess I determined I would clean up that day…

Some of us have real trouble estimating how long stuff will take. — Why, oh why, do we do it? This biting off more than we can chew? The grand, sweeping statements. Their lack of substance echoing through the canyon of our future months. Maybe it’s mob mentality, the fact that everyone in the world is feeling that same good morning, fresh, clean…

“What is silent?” — “This is my wish for you: that you take these cards, grab the topic on one side and write, write, write . . . Remember no good or bad. Just words on the page.” Natalie Goldberg. Each card in this world-renowned author and zen teacher’s Deck contains a writing topic…

“I’m looking at…” — “This is my wish for you: that you take these cards, grab the topic on one side and write, write, write . . . Remember no good or bad. Just words on the page.” Natalie Goldberg. Each card in this world-renowned author and zen teacher’s deck contains a writing topic…