Great Expectations–The Chapters That Did NOT Get Written

I had great expectations for my time here, but the reality was even better. Sometimes it’s important to let go of expectations, to see what transpires without them. Some of life’s finest gifts arrive that way. My gift this past month was making new friends and learning to appreciate this remarkable community in a whole new way. I just bet, in the long run, Tracy, Wanda, Janya and Alice will all be better off for it when I settle in, once again, to tell their story.

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I Am Fortunate Because. . .

Just as writing Happiness Key made me think extra hard about what makes me happy and why, writing Fortunate Harbor made me think about all the ways I’ve been fortunate in my life.  Taking a blessing inventory, if you will, is a thought-provoking discipline, and I’ve found the more I think about this, the more fortunate I…

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And a Bald Eagle In a Dead Tree

One of the things I love most about Sanibel Island is the diversity of wildlife.  The birds amaze me.  This morning a Great Egret performed a majestic stroll through our yard.  On the beach varieties of sandpipers, gulls, pelicans, ibis and snowy egrets entertain us each morning and evening.  Used to cardinals and sparrows in…

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Who Does Emilie Read? Diane Chamberlain For One

Inevitably during every interview I’m asked the names of authors I enjoy.  Inevitably Diane Chamberlain is at the top of my list. Diane and I became more than mutual admirers when I moved to Northern Virginia a decade ago and found she lived here, too.  We began to get together to chat, then to brainstorm,…

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