Winter Blues

Lately . . .

We’ve been inside a lot these last few weeks due to frigid temperatures. Too much togetherness. Not enough movement. Finally warming up today with ice melting. I can hear the water trickle like an open faucet as ice melts off the roof and makes its way down the gutter spouts.

Some people use this fallow time to plan spring gardens.

But, we’ve been making our way through home improvement projects. After 40 years in this house, the kitchen needs a tune-up. New lighting. Soapstone countertop. Finally a deeper sink. Cabinets to be painted. We cook almost every meal at home and spend a lot of time in our kitchen so this seems like a good investment. And it is.

But I also realize that a beautiful house, even one with all the bells and whistles, won’t create a life that is good and plenty. That kind of work comes from within, and I’m doing that, too.

Sacred Attention

I did not witness the Buddhist monks’ Walk for Peace (2,300 miles from Fort Worth, TX to Washington, DC) through Fredericksburg today. I didn’t even know it was happening since I do not regularly watch the news or participate on platforms like Facebook. But I did feel its impact. The flowers strewn along Lafayette Boulevard stopped me in my tracks. And while cars whizzed by, I slowed to notice every petal and stem along the roadside, contemplating the calm safe places in my life. Praying that those spaces might exist for us all. That we all might have enough.

The Walk for Peace post today: On Day 104, we continue our journey through Virginia, walking through Fredericksburg and heading to Stafford via US-1 Highway. Step by step, we carry the message of peace, mindfulness, loving-kindness and compassion forward. We are deeply grateful for the continued support and warm welcome we receive along the way.

From the poet James Crews, The Weekly Pause:

As Mirabai Starr writes in Ordinary Mysticism, “When we make a pact to show up for reality just as it is, reality rewards us by revealing its hidden holiness, its ordinary wonder, its fruitful shadows and radiant wounds.” I see now that my mother knew this, how we reclaim some measure of our power when we learn to revere what is already here. This pledge leads to a life of awe for the everyday, for the simple beauties, for the kindness of memories, for the wounds that require our tending to heal. Doesn’t the whole world long for the balm of our sacred attention?

A Bright and Juicy Life

realizing I have taken many pictures of oranges over the years

Sometimes you need something good and beautiful.
A bowl of oranges.
A lime tree on the windowsill,
alight with tender blossoms and glowing green orbs.
A dream brimming with the scent of tangerines.
All you want is a life as bright and juicy as a plump fruit.
Take it.
 
Poem by Rawaan Alkhatib

PixxiBook Praises

PixxiBook, Easy Blog to Book

I’ve written about making a blog into a book using the company PixxiBook before in August 2025.

I’ll repeat my summary review here and add a few updates. PixxiBook has improved their printers and processes so that I can now wholeheartedly give a score of 10/10. I’ve also added a category for customer service because the owners, Tim and Sabrina, have been totally wonderful in answering my questions and getting back to me quickly and kindly.

A short and sweet review for Pixxibook. 

Ease of use: 10/10. The process is incredibly easy. I linked to my website and Pixxibook indexed every page and created the books within minutes! Low frustration. High enjoyment.

Pricing: 10/10. Affordable and reasonable for a quality product.

Quality: Now 10/10. The paper is thick and not at all see-through. The photographs are printed with stunning quality. The printed text is clear and crisp. There are occasional issues with the placement of pictures and text and cropping, but this is to be expected for an automated process (not deal breakers for me). I LOVED being able to customize the covers. The cover colors are vibrant and bright but not garish. The books hold up to 300 pages. But, after having held the books in my hands, I’d try to keep the page number at less than that—maybe 200 or so. (I think this would improve the longevity of the book.) I had so many posts in 2022 that I divided that year into two volumes. Same for 2025 (see two volumes pictured in this post)

Shipping: 10/10. The turnaround time is only 2 weeks and the books were delivered via UPS. The books arrived in perfect condition.

Customer Service: 10/10. I wrote to ask questions about printing and received a reply the same day with the information I needed.

Overall Satisfaction: 10/10