Tag: Inspiration

Renewing My Passion

Posted on by Mary

The hustle of the holidays always seems to pull time away from my passion, which is writing. Writing about food, travel, people and nature inspires me, fuels my spirit and encourages me to delve deeper into my heart to share these experiences with you.

I have spent half my life in the food world and find it the most comfortable place to be. I get a rush talking about food, learning about new ways to prepare a dish, while also embracing the basics. It doesn’t matter. Anything food gets me going and you will find it difficult to shut me up! My goal this year is to work on boosting flavor in my dishes.

The other topic that pushes my button is travel. I would board a plane on a dime. Meeting new people and discovering what makes them tick and what they do to find joy is like eating a chocolate ice cream sundae. My appetite is insatiable.

How can anyone not find solace in nature? Whenever I feel stuck, I head to my backyard and have a conversation with my fruit trees, veggie garden and roses. Just the view out of my writing window makes my heart skip a beat. Hummingbirds are ever-present, along with bluejays, crows and mourning doves. They each speak to me in their own language and I am learning how to interpret them. Every planting has its own needs and wants and it’s my job to nurture them along the way, helping to make them the best they can be.

So, for the new year, it’s my wish and goal to share more of these experiences with you by beginning a series of short stories and to be inspired my you, my readers, to deliver quality, relevant and interesting reading material.

Salute! Happy New Year!

Love, Mary

My Life as a Leaf

Posted on by Mary
The Daily Balance.
The Daily Balance.

Several mornings a week, Sparky and I hike the trails overlooking the ocean near my home. Scrub brush and a few old shedding eucalyptus trees line the pathway. Each day I choose a fallen brown parchment leaf that speaks to me and represents how I feel and determines the mood for my day. Somedays it’s a leaf with torn edges when my knees are acting up. Somedays it’s a large broad leaf that shouts, “Think big! Dare to be bold!”

Further along the path, a transplanted old stump sits upright beckoning daily hikers to adorn it with rocks and twigs in a balancing act. My usual contribution is one of my chosen leaves which I think look like wings and encourages me to fly. This representation of accumulated nature seems to say, “Don’t let anybody knock you off your path!”

This morning I was feeling a little blue so wanted to find a greener leaf as a sign of newness and rebirth. It seems almost as quickly as the leaves fall, they turn brown with age. How quickly life passes… Only one wilting green trio was in sight. I picked it up along with a lanky, slightly curvy dark leaf and walked them to the “pillar of strength.” I carefully tucked the leaves among the balancing rocks and whispered a prayer for lightness and flexibility in my life. As I proceeded down the trail, there was a spring in my step and a release of tension. A team of 20 pelicans glides in front of me, their gentle strength and synchronicity with nature reminding me to embrace life with grace and not to flap so hard. A new day has begun and I am here enjoying the solitude of nature and salty ocean breezes. How can life be any better?

Sparky enjoying a few moments of reflection at his favorite spot.
Sparky enjoying a few moments of reflection at his favorite spot further down the trail.

“Everything you can imagine is real.”
― Pablo Picasso

Ciao for now,

Mary