Wondering how I came up with this topic? My very special grandson loves pickles, so I try to have some in my refrigerator. Sweet pickles are tasty, but sour dill pickles are the best. So yesterday I stopped at the local deli to buy their crunchy homemade version. The server surprised me with the question, “How are you going to USE these pickles?” He didn't say, “eat,” he said “use!” Turns out, he’s an awesome source of pickle wisdom.

One day a villager came to a wise Taoist for advice about forgiveness. The wise man gave the villager an empty sack and a basket of potatoes with these directions:

“Think of all the people who have done or said something that offended you, especially those you cannot forgive..."

Every day I turn to nature as a way to de-stress. I count on the energy of the sun, the sky, the water, and the spontaneity of it all to meet me with calming, awe-inspiring experiences. But lately nature has been flexing its muscles and putting on a show so startling that we humans are forced to attention. In a short time we've witnessed a partial eclipse of the sun, wild fires, an earthquake, and hurricanes.

As a little girl I learned to hide my flaws and weaknesses. I protected them with secrecy and I'm not sure why.  I didn't know then that there's no possibility of physical perfection, or of being good at everything. I didn't know that asking for help is a satisfying option. And I was lucky to discover how freeing the guidance of kind and generous mentors is.

Welcome back. It's hard to believe the summer of 2017 is about to become a memory: the partial eclipse of the sun, a wedding, the birth of twins, visits with friends, vacationing with family, hot air ballooning, laughter on the beach, fishing from the dock, compelling word games, gardening, tennis, great books, excitement, solitude, and many insights. I snapped photos of much of it. I enjoy being the photographer. I don't like being the one photographed. The images argue with my reality.