I sit atop a knoll, overlooking the original homestead of my late great-grandparents Charles and Clara Wiening. Maggie, a sweet border collie sprawls out under the canopy of a maple tree, panting and chewing on a stick that has nearly disintegrated under her drool and sharp teeth. The rush of water flowing through the irrigation...
The elements in the high desert can change in an instant. Light, wind, and rain all do what they want to do when they want to do it. One minute the sky is clear and sunny and so blue you can’t believe a color that vibrant exists. The next, a pregnant storm cloud booms overhead and...
When you care for someone’s garden, you get a glimpse of the depth of that person. You find a new appreciation for who they are and discover what is important to them. That awareness makes you feel closer to the one who has created the special space. My sister asked me to keep an eye...
It may look like the Grinch flipping you the bird or like the spawn of a lemon that did the naughty with a squid, but it is a citron: Citrus medica var. sarcodactylis or Buddha’s Hand. Each lumpy finger segment is a fruit that can be used for jam, candy, or air freshener. If you...
You know the saying, “Home is where the heart is”? Those words rang true for me last night. With vacation behind me, I sped down the interstate in the Prius, homeward bound. With hands gripping the wheel and the pedal to the metal, I drove along like a horse with tunnel vision galloping down the...
These past days in Italy have been a whirlwind of fun, beauty, intrigue, and exhaustion (the good kind). We have explored caves, hiked to a city on a hill, toured wineries, braved water slides, and we have eaten and eaten and eaten! Here is a recap of our recent travels across the Tuscan countryside. Enjoy!...
It is raining here in Orvieto. I sit at a cafe on the corner opposite of our apartment, writing, sipping somewhat iced tea, listening to the water droplets fall on the yellow awning overhead. Just this morning, the sun was shining, the sky blue. We started the day with a walk to have pastries at...
