The living room of my childhood home in New Albany, Indiana. 1725 Grantline Road. I always wanted to slide down the stairs but the post at the bottom would surely cause embarrassing injury. If one was obese it may have been difficult to squeeze through the narrow archway to the kitchen. The heating vents were… Continue reading The Empty House
Tag: memories
Thank You, Earth. The International Dinner Party
August 16, 2015. Beginning in 1993 as a small get-together between friends to show thanks and mutual respect, the International Dinner is celebrated every year. Prepared with love, shown are some of the delicious native dishes from family and friends for the 22nd Annual Dinner. United States: American beef hamburger sliders, Ham and Cheese Ball,… Continue reading Thank You, Earth. The International Dinner Party
22nd Annual International Dinner
In 1993, shortly after I had decided to rebuild my life in California, six of my friends came over for refreshments. As we huddled together, we realized the different shades of our skin and contours of our faces. The seven of us represented six countries; Switzerland, Thailand, Iran, Israel, Guatemala, and the United States. We planned… Continue reading 22nd Annual International Dinner
Living Now While Preserving the Past
Living Now While Preserving the Past I have learned to respect the past. However, I try not to look over my shoulder at dreams that did not come true. I instead like to aim the compass of my life in a positive direction, knowing it is much more exciting to create something beautiful than… Continue reading Living Now While Preserving the Past
Love and Rainbows
Love and Rainbows Now that you are gone The memories linger on And when I close my eyes I see you in my mind There’s paradise in me With peaceful streams and trees And when I gaze above I see the colors of your love And though you went away I kept the promise that… Continue reading Love and Rainbows
You’ll Be My Rainbow
You'll Be My Rainbow Now that you are gone The memories linger on And when I close my eyes I see you in my mind There's a paradise in me With peaceful streams and trees And when I gaze above I see the colors of your love And though you went away I hear… Continue reading You’ll Be My Rainbow
Dearest Almaria
Dearest Almaria, You always said it is never too late to apologize to someone, right? Do you remember when we chose our fine china for our wedding present? I wanted solid and you wanted floral. I was a little grumpy when you decided on the ones with the purple lilacs and green vines, but every… Continue reading Dearest Almaria
How to Master the Art of Serenity
Do you want to master the art of inner peace? I discovered this quite by accident, for I was not searching for an ancient secret. Sometimes life's revelations are unveiled when we least expect it. I am so glad I was aware of those precious moments of introspection and stored it somewhere in my brain.The… Continue reading How to Master the Art of Serenity
The International Dinner
Today we bring food from our countries As we sit and eat with people from all nations It is easier to see our sameness than our differences We are all interwoven Today we savor our fellowship And flavors of our cultures Undivided by flags or borders We see the reflection of ourselves The mirror of… Continue reading The International Dinner
Reverence of the Past
As an adoptee that spent two decades searching for my origins, I have always had a reverence for the past. Maybe that is why I also have a passion for classic cars, historic buildings, and antique and estate jewelry at my jewelry store in Newport Beach, California. Every morning I wake to see this beautiful… Continue reading Reverence of the Past
The Postcard
“Why did my mother give me up?” I asked bravely. “Honey, maybe she couldn’t afford to keep you. Maybe she was unmarried and didn’t have enough money to support you.” My stomach ached. Was adoption good or bad? Should I have been proud or ashamed? I surely didn’t feel that this was a fortunate circumstance,… Continue reading The Postcard
The World Table
Nineteen years ago, in the summer of 1993, seven of my friends got together. Realizing the rich differences of our backgrounds, we decided to have a dinner in which each person would have to bring a dish of food from their native country. We dubbed it the International Party. One friend brought chicken with peanut… Continue reading The World Table
Embrace Your Life
Grandpa's footsteps shuffled into the spare bedroom I was sleeping. His house was stout and was constructed of thick wood beams, complete with an old-fashioned porch swing. Grandpa probably built the house with his own hands as a wedding present for grandma. I didn't raise my head from the early morning covers, which shielded me… Continue reading Embrace Your Life
The Small Farm
I loved early Saturday mornings. Homework only took fifteen minutes the night before and I pretended the weekend was a miniature vacation. Our house faced southwest and the sun would pour brightly through our old wooden framed windows. I would lie belly down on the living room floor and watch cartoons. Mom would make biscuits… Continue reading The Small Farm
The Secret of Zero
Everybody laughed at Carl Bickles as Mr Rogers was teaching us about space. The fourth grade class was filled with cool artifacts, including a large wooden dinosaur on Mr. Roger's desk. I was always fascinated how the Brontosaurus trampled heavily upon the earth. I was saddened about their demise as the Ice Age froze their… Continue reading The Secret of Zero