Mamma Mia!

Skopelos, Greece

My mom and I just saw this movie and now I am dying to visit the above location.

The Fireflies Have Arrived!

Thank you, Michelle! See the post below, for it is a fitting tribute to you, one of my oldest and dearest of friends....

A Toast to Friends Old & New

photograph by John Granen

I have a new friend to thank for this lovely homage to old friends....

"...being with my old friend, caused me to contemplate just how important these sort of touchstones are in one’s life. Places you can return to, and friends that you can be with, that remind you who you are. Who you really are. Deep down. When you spend time with a friend such as this, it is restorative. There is an ease of conversation emanating from a shared history, a finishing of each other’s sentences, comfortable companionable silences, and the salubrious joy of being understood without effort. That type of friendship, I’ve found, is harder when one gets older. Perhaps we tend to grow a little more guarded with age. But if you are blessed, as I am, with an old friend, I wish you a clear summer day like mine and a chance to appreciate that friendship anew."

Raise a glass to all of our dear friends, old and new...

Nature According to Lord Byron

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,

There is a rapture on the lonely shore,


There is a society, where none intrudes,


By the deep sea, and music in its roar.


~Lord Byron~


I've just returned from a camping trip to the Mendocino Coast.
These are a few of the natural and scenic photos that I took from there.

A Fabulous Fourth

one of the many quaint Carmel cottages that I admired

Just a brief report on my Fourth of July weekend. It was one of those memorable occasions that can be attributed to that perfect combination which makes any gathering a success--good food and lots of it, a lovely location with just the right ambiance, and most importantly, people with whom it is a joy to be with! Of course, that included my mother, my one and only sister and her gregarious husband, and many of my oldest and dearest friends along with their families. It was blissful to watch the children immensely enjoying themselves as they frolicked along the shore, dodging waves and building sand castles, while the adults busied themselves with their own amusements--the men bumping a volleyball or throwing a football, and the ladies unsuccessfully tossing a frisbee but still managing to have a good time! It brings to mind something that I had shared on Brin's blog:

"There are so many beautiful things about life. One of them are those brief moments in the midst of crazy, hectic fun or sublime merriment where you pause, take a deep breath, glance around meaningfully, and realize just how blessed you really are--that profound stillness filled with thankfulness directed to the God who has graciously allowed us to enjoy all things."

I certainly felt this that day! So suffice it to say that I am feeling very thankful--for friends, for family, for freedom and for fleeting moments of beauty!