As a person who loves words and has dedicated many years to verbal expressions of all kinds, this may be a first: a personal declaration that sometimes one single sentence can be enough for a lifetime. While growing up the men in my life included my father, two grandfathers and
Where the Name Comes From Long before I ever had the gloriously life-altering experience of first setting foot on French soil, I fell in love with the Charles Dickens novel, A Tale of Two Cities. Written in installments for a London periodical it weaves a harrowing story of love, desperation,
Finding My “Safe Place” — And a Life Lesson from The Horsewoman The gentle rhythm of hooves ambling through the barn; the whickers of “horse talk”: greeting, recognizing, staking claim; the fragrance of hay and fresh wood shavings in stalls – sensory images and impressions that take me to my
Weddings and Destinations by VF: Research, Resources, & Realizing Dreams One thing’s for sure, we love an event and all the details surrounding it— destination choices, specific venues, color schemes, floral arrangements, lighting ideas, menu preferences— every aspect. Here are a couple of highlights from the Cinq Femmes files! Margaret
Call it being an early truth-seeker, a sassy little brat, or just displaying the unvarnished honesty of a pre-schooler, but I once actually told my adored maternal grandmother, “Zhoo LIED, Granny!” (Translation: “You lied, dear grandmother!”) Many years later (read many,) I’m still fuzzy on what exactly my grandmother had
Some of my greatest blessings and closely-held memories spring from time spent in Paris, first during a university-led summer tour, then during European excursions with my parents, then in adventures with friends and colleagues. After introducing my husband to the “Paris Experience” early in our marriage he soon became as
If you’re a frequent yoga practitioner, you know the sense of lightness and freedom that comes from a focused, intentional yoga session. Often after class, my thoughts return to the introductory words shared by the instructor to invite us to settle into the experience, or to the guided imagery accompanying
One of the things I’ve learned in my spiritual journey is the power and beauty of wisdom teachings from a variety of faith traditions. I recently came across a simple statement from Lao Tzu, the ancient Chinese philosopher who inspired The Way of the Tao, The Middle Path. Lao said
Summer 2024 will remain in my memory as one filled with new images—new physical landscapes through our travels in the States and in France, the faces of new friends and colleagues who shared the journeys with us, and not least on this list, new creative endeavors born from the imagination
Every Sunday when The New York Times arrives on our doorstep, the first section I look for is the “Book Review.” Always thought-provoking, often both esoteric and broad in scope, the “Book Review” never fails to pique my interest with a new author, a fresh publication, or an old classic