I am often amazed at the restorative power of nature.  Any metaphorical weight on my shoulders… any stress, confusion, sadness, or anger manages to lift and drift away (sometimes a little, sometimes a lot) when I spend quiet time outside.  Whether I am walking, biking, kayaking, or simply sitting, a little time alone in nature…

Hygge.  The Danish word may not have an English equivalent, but the concept resonates strongly and wordlessly in my American soul.  It’s a brilliant little term; a single word which manages to describe a mood, vibe, mindset, atmosphere, and belief system in just five letters.  “Cozy” is a word often used as an English synonym,…

My sister called the other day.  I could hear my young nephew sniffling in the background.  “Aunt Jen?  We have a problem here…”  I waited patiently on the line for the request for that special, crisis-averting, child-soothing nugget of wisdom she needed.  The kind that can only come from an adult who is not the…

“Want some carrot soup?” he asks.  I look up from my Chromebook and laugh before making a puking sound like a five year old.  “You’ll like it,” he confirms, answering his own question in spite of my obnoxious reply and saunters into the kitchen to set to work.  I glance out the window from where…

We are now in the fourth week of social distancing here on Long Island, NY in order to stop the spread of COVID 19.  As we’ve been settling into this new reality that will likely continue for weeks and maybe months, my friends and I have begun to experience a new combination of emotions:  Boredom…