Life is built in layers—stories, flavors, ideas, even the way we experience the world around us. A great story is never just a single thread; it is woven together with emotions, perspectives, and time. The same event can be told in different ways depending on who is telling it, what details they choose to highlight, and how their own experiences shape the narrative. Much like history itself, stories unfold in layers, revealing new meanings the deeper we go.

Life often feels like a whirlwind of successes and setbacks, but sometimes the most powerful thing we can do is pause and savor the beauty of one good moment. Small, fleeting experiences have the power to center us, reminding us that joy doesn't always come in big, dramatic waves.

This little sign hangs at a tiny bar in Mexico right on the beach. The owner could not wait to serve the hubs and I a cold beer and homemade chips and salsa. It was over 5 years ago, but I remember this afternoon perfectly.

I am still processing the recent wedding of our daughter Hailey to the wonderful Eddie that we managed to pull off in the Tuscan hillside here in Italy. It was nothing short of spectacular and I am in awe of everyone that made the trip and celebrated with us. Grazie Mille.

Oh man. Africa. First it was the people and then of course the elephants, the lions, the giraffes...but it was marveling at our EARTH that just broke me open. The colors of the sky, the magnitude of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the endless colors of plants and animals.

I am leaving on June 1st for Africa. I have never traveled there before, and I cannot believe I am leading a yoga retreat to Tanzania....it is a real pinch me moment. As I put together this retreat, which includes a week of solo travel for me prior to the retreat, I was only nervous about one night, the first night there. The logistics of traveling to Tanzania and then on to Zanzibar are of course complicated. I tried not to worry too much about that first night. When I said the whole itinerary out loud to the Hubs, he went back to that arrival night and was like "um, that is nuts."

I just returned from Panama, and I noticed along the roadside clearly defined rows of trees everywhere. Some trees were hacked off at the top and just looked like a rugged fencepost and others had straight branches jutting out at all angles. The trees create a fence that sometimes has barbed wire strung between, or the trees were so close together it didn’t require wire in between. In my yoga classes since I have been back I have used the image of the trees/posts. The ability to plant and replant my feet and legs into the earth, to pull my thigh bones back, and to notice the space between each planted foot.

For years I have been honest about how much I dislike the end of the year Holidays, or the "Season of Disappointment" as I often called it. There are several personal reasons, but it has been my story for years.

The hubs and I moved last month, and it was an excuse to get rid of most of our furniture and acquire some new things to fit into our new place. We didn't even really look at new furniture. I learned from the best, my mother, who will always turn the car around for anything second hand. These days trust me when I say you can furnish your entire house or apartment though Facebook Marketplace.