Visiting with old friends (and all of us are getting older!) is one of life’s greatest pleasures. During my Lake County visit in Northern California I found refreshment and inspiration in over half dozen artists, writers, peace activists, and environmental visionaries. The usual Northern California mix. Lake County is three hours north of San Franciso…
There’s nothing like being in Northern California to release your inner gourmet. After all this was the birthplace of nouvell cuisine, the food child of Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in Berkley. For me I reached my gourmand potential in Fort Bragg, Santa Rosa and Calistoga. Whether is was a mobile taco stand, a coffey…
I’m a Water Baby all the way. Put me in any body of water–from a bathtub to an ocean, and you’ll see a serene smile on my face. I’m here in Northern California to visit old friends and reconnect with the land and water of Lake County and the Northern California Coast. The jewel of…
I’m on the cover and between the covers of the anthology “Spirt of a Woman: Stories to Empower & Inspire.” Read my post “Treasure & Tend Your Iconic Moments” on the Spirt of a Woman blog. See the announcement of the anthology launch: Spirit of a Woman: Stories to Empower & Inspire.
Here’s a reprise of my father’s historical notes, reflections, and the lyrics of “There’s a Star Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere” (1942). My father is a decorated veteran from World War II. The year my father was named Folk Treasure of Arts Across Illinois this song was captured on video in preparation for a TV show….
What does patriotism look like? Is it “Love it or leave it”? or: “My country right or wrong.” or “My country both right and wrong.” Or…? How do we love our country? How do we make our country reflect our vision of what we’d like democracy to be? Lift up your voices. I look forward…
Dear Riehlife Villagers, You know how you work forever just because, and then all of a sudden the world knows you and and your work are really cooking? That’s what’s happened to me. Here’s a sampling.–Janet ________________ * Hey! SF Book Festival just awarded an honorable mention to our audio book “Sightlines: A Family Love…
At the Story Circle Network Conference “Writing from the Heart V” in Austin, Texas presented a workshop “Story Poems: A Tool for Writing Our Stories.” At the Missouri Writers Guild Conference I presented a variation called: “Prose? Poetry? Who knows?” I enjoy exploring the line between the two genres. We toggle back and forth and…
HAPPY SURPRISES I made a deal with our tour leader: “If I’m not there for an outing, don’t wait longer than 10 minutes. I will never not be okay. There’s no trouble I can get into that I can’t get out of. I will never be late for a ferry, yacht, bus, or plane. Rest…
The Alton Telegrah, our local paper, interviewed Pop and I for a Father’s Day article: “A legacy of words: Father and daughter collaborate on projects.” Quite to our surprise, it made the front page. Both the writer Kathie Bassett and photographer Margie Barnes did a stellar job. I was honored that Kathie chose my poem…