My Battle with a Door

I recently had a fight with a door and when it was over, the song called “I Fought the Law and the Law Won” got stuck in my head. It’s an oldie but goodie written by Sonny Curtis in the 60’s and covered by many bands. My two favorites are the versions by The Clash and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Okay, back to my fight. I decided to... read more

Wilma Rudolph – an Olympic Hero

In December 2017, I visited the Olympic Museum (Le Musee Olympique) in Lausanne, Switzerland. This is an exciting museum not only for the vast historical records and interactive displays, but also for the numerous works of art including sculptures by Rodin, Niki de Saint Phalle, and pictured below, Jean Michel Folon’s Rain (Pluie). As... read more

Power Songs for 2018

“Perfect Symphony” by Ed Sheeran and Andrea Bocelli. I have to thank my friend FS for bringing this song to my attention. He introduced me to Andrea Bocelli, the Italian tenor, in the mid-90’s as he was coming into music stardom. The YouTube link has over 57 million views, and I can’t listen to it enough. It is an orchestral version of... read more

The Winter Garden

“The earth laughs in flowers.” When I read this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson on a tea bag, it motivated me to capture some of the beauty in my garden right now. One of the benefits of living in Southern California is we have more time each year to enjoy the earth laughing. I am always surprised each winter to see the succulents bloom. In... read more

Valsroad 2018 Book Club Ideas

I’ve been a book club member for over 20 years. The gals in my book club may come and go, but one thing stays constant, the love a good book. Looking back to those early years, I remember reading books like “The Pilot’s Wife” by Anita Shreve and “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden. Hundreds of books later, my... read more