Joyful Pup Power

Joyful Kona, the pup who launched a thousand cozies

All writers have muses–mine just happen to be joyful shih tzu pups. Our beloved Kona, whose dark chocolate puppy coat turned blonde as he got older, was so sweet and affectionate. He was smushy and cuddly, and spoke to us in sniffy snorts. He had soulful eyes and a tongue that was always adorably sticking…

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Holding It All

Holding onto everything when it all feels fragile

The calendar page has turned. The year is new. Here we are in January. This is traditionally a time when we’re holding so many hopes for the next twelve months, when we’re feeling the lightness of promise, and reaffirming to ourselves that this year our dreams are possible. We make plans. We set intensions. We…

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Traditions Make for Happy Holidays

One of my favorite holiday traditions is hanging cherished ornaments on the tree

The holidays offer so much opportunity to lean into the happy. But I know all too well how it’s a difficult time for many as well. Missing loved ones can make this time of year feel especially tender…but I think traditions help.   Not only do traditions evoke cheerful memories of celebrations long gone, but…

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Savoring Summer’s Magic

Summer hydrangeas to savor.

  Here We Are It’s August, and I’m taking my time in appreciating the season…the way the sky softens then brightens early, how the sunlight lingers late into the evening. These are special days. The produce is abundant. Every piece of fruit is juicy. Tomatoes are plentiful (beyond plentiful!). It’s a hot, lazy time of…

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Dazzling Summer Joy

Tortellini salad joy

  It’s the most wonderful time of the year in my kitchen AND I AM OVERJOYED. That’s right, we’re talking all-caps enthusiasm! My happiness cannot be contained. Let me backtrack. I’m an avid home cook. Like everyone else on the Eastern Seaboard, we’ve trudged through winter’s limp offerings at the grocery store: lackluster lettuce, barely…

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