Loved People
andrew
The letter I wrote for my own clarity, but will not send. From my heart to the universe, a prayer to move forward. Dear Andrew, When I think about you—or about anything you’ve said to me, or that I might want to say to you—it stirs something intense inside me. My body reacts with a…
Read Morea moment with mom
On Wednesday I went to Cupertino to have lunch with my parents and celebrate my mom’s birthday a few days late. After lunch we had some lemon meringue pie that I made that morning. It was so lemony & delicious. My parents love a lemon meringue pie. After lunch, my mom & I worked in…
Read Morecold plunge
I went in the ocean at China Beach around 8:30am today. A friend was celebrating her birthday with a cold plunge in the Pacific! The bay by my house was glassy. As I drove past, I glimpsed the sun dancing across the surface. It reminded me of Fallen Leaf Lake near Lake Tahoe. For years,…
Read MoreUncle George
I wrote these words to share on Sunday, October 20, 2024 at the Memorial Service for George Grey Eagle Bertelstein held in El Cerrito, CA. “George called me Niecie. I called him Uncle. My prayer in this moment is to let something greater take over and, for the grace of it, share some words about…
Read Morepie hug
This pie will dry your tears. This pie will make you smile and say mmmhh! This pie will hug the broken pieces of your heart back into place. It’s a we miss you pie… a let’s get together pie… a have all your feelings pie… a tell us what hurts and what happened pie… a…
Read Moregreen and gold
Yesterday I drove through a stunning landscape of gold and green. Lush vineyards and golden hills. Some vines have lovely scattered flowers growing underneath. Those make me smile. The rows of vines are so orderly. They feed my need for structure and organization and make me feel calm. I can only imagine the amount of…
Read MoreDiana Williams
Today was a beautiful day. The air felt warm. The earth felt soft. The sunshine sparkled on the water. Monarch butterflies danced and flirted about. The sky was bright blue. The clouds were puffy and cute. Flowers seemed to have bloomed overnight and the abundance of new green life was everywhere. The light was magic…
Read MoreJoe Hugo Kojola
My grandpa, Hugo “Joe” Kojola was born on this day in 1908. He died in 1994 at 86. As a kid, I thought he was Santa Claus because of his white beard, jolly laugh and round belly. He gave me shiny stones that he polished in his rock polishing machine. Many are still on my…
Read MoreGeorge Grey Eagle Bertelstein
Today my friend George left his body. With all of the people he loved so deeply, I can only imagine how hard it must have been for him to let go and cross to the other side. He did it. His death has already been a deeply meaningful teaching. It has only just begun to…
Read MoreTurtle Love
My Aunt Joan has been on my mind a lot lately. She is mostly not in her “right” mind given her dementia, but certain parts of her personality still shine through… A couple of people from Joan’s past have reached out to me after finding the blog post I wrote about her a few years…
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