This little piggy went to rehab. This little piggy went home. This little piggy had salmon, this little piggy had none … And THIS little piggy went “wheeee wheeee wheee wheeee wheeeeee!” All the way home. Since the stroke, Tom can’t flex the toes or upper part of his right foot. So I manipulate his … read more Simple pleasures
Category: Improvisation
The Adventure Girl Cookbook: Improvising a Life. Recipes, ideas and stories about creativity, mindfulness and improvisation as a major ingredient in art, food, work, life
Not on the menu
Hospital food is notoriously bad and unhealthy. I remember being in hospital in North Georgia in 2007 and the choices were all deep-fried or heavily sweetened. Tom and I eat pretty healthy food, especially in the last three years. We avoid sugar and processed foods, we eat whole foods, fresh vegetables and fruits, we go … read more Not on the menu
Bodies of light
I’m a window person, not an aisle person. When you’re 35,000 feet above the ground, you can see how small we are, and how big the earth is. I want to see that every chance I get. The clouds from the window on the flight yesterday were spectacular. Towering bodies of bulky white, spirit formations … read more Bodies of light
Enabled passengers
We were so pleased to have gotten seats in Row 2 on our flight to Ohio. You get served first, you get off the plane first. Tom wanted to put his bag in the overhead bin right above our seats so that he could grab it quickly when we deplaned, but the people seated in … read more Enabled passengers
Stone soup
It just about kills me to waste food. I grew up with Catholic guilt and “the starving children in Africa” clanging in my head – but the real pain comes from the thought of how much labor, non-renewable energy, and time went into producing that ear of corn or that chunk of tofu and delivering … read more Stone soup
The secret friend
You know when you’re little and you have a secret friend? Someone you made up but you tell everyone about them, play with their invisible self while talking to them, and insist that this friend is real? My sisters tell me I had a “secret friend” named Patty. At least I think that’s the name. I don’t … read more The secret friend
What do I call this?
When I had a photography business, I named it Baraka Photos. The name came to me in 2006, while we were living overseas, and before I’d even heard of Barack Obama. “Baraka” means gift or blessing in Arabic and Hebrew. It seemed like the perfect name for the way that I felt about the things … read more What do I call this?
Losing traction
When I climbed the mountain trail last Thursday, my time was even faster than the previous week – 45 minutes up! And 31 minutes down. I was pushing, almost running in places, and the temperature was almost 90 degrees, so I was soaked with sweat. I remember having a funny feeling on my foot on … read more Losing traction
Quieting down
Some days, like today, seems there’s nothing but noise in my head. Just stray bits of fuzz, flies buzzing, engines idling. A very big crowd of people in a stadium all talking at once, not really paying attention to the game that they’re there to watch. At work, I was trying to troubleshoot technical problems long distance, … read more Quieting down
The silence of the ferns
It was nearly sunset as I crashed through the forest. I usually make some noise while hiking in areas with bears, wild hogs and snakes, so that they have a chance to clear out before I confront them. Plus, I’d just left a community jam session, and the little bit of sing-along got my musical heart beating. … read more The silence of the ferns