Blogs

Henry David Thoreau, a three-hour, three-part documentary produced by Ken Burns and Don Henley, premiers on PBS on March 30th...

“The heart is forever inexperienced.”                           -Henry David Thoreau, Walden This past Christmas, 2025, my mom was all about making...

“We need the tonic of wildness…we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely...

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY  “The earth I tread on is not a dead inert...

“The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man’s abode.”  -Henry...

“Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a...

“Of what significance the light of day, if it is not the reflection of an inward dawn? To what purpose...

“Between whom there is hearty truth there is love.”  -Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau and the Art of Life, posthumously      These...

“A sky without clouds is a meadow without flowers, a sea without sails.” -Henry David Thoreau, Walden Isn’t it amazing...

“The life in us is like the water in the river.”  -Henry David Thoreau, Walden      Panta Rhei…means everything flows, according...

“Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves.”  -Henry David Thoreau, Walden        “Every time a bell rings,...

“Life is best experienced with a sense of awe, wonder and discovery. Go about life with a child’s curiosity.”  -Henry...

“Simplify! Simplify! Simplify!”  -Henry David Thoreau, Walden        The unadorned yellow water flower grows in a state of ease, a solitary...

“The true harvest of my life is intangible…a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched.”...

“All nature is doing her best each moment to make us well – she exists for no other end. Do...

“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.”  -Henry David Thoreau,...

 “The earth I tread on is not a dead inert mass. It is a body, has a spirit; is organic...

“The setting sun is reflected from the windows of the alms-house as brightly as from the rich man’s abode.”  -Henry...

“Only that day dawns to which we are awake. There is more day to dawn. The sun is but a...

“Of what significance the light of day, if it is not the reflection of an inward dawn? To what purpose...

“A sky without clouds is a meadow without flowers, a sea without sails.” -Henry David Thoreau, Journal, June 24, 1852...

“Between whom there is hearty truth there is love.”  -Henry David Thoreau, Thoreau and the Art of Life, posthumously      These...

“A sky without clouds is a meadow without flowers, a sea without sails.” -Henry David Thoreau, Journal, June 24, 1852...

“The life in us is like the water in the river.”  -Henry David Thoreau, Walden      Panta Rhei…means everything flows, according...

“Not until we are lost do we begin to find ourselves.”  -Henry David Thoreau, Walden        “Every time a bell rings,...

“Life is best experienced with a sense of awe, wonder and discovery. Go about life with a child’s curiosity.”  -Henry...

“Simplify! Simplify! Simplify!”  -Henry David Thoreau, Walden        The unadorned yellow water flower grows in a state of ease, a solitary...

“The true harvest of my life is intangible…a little star dust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched.”...

“All nature is doing her best each moment to make us well – she exists for no other end. Do...

“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.”  -Henry David Thoreau,...

 “Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to...

“Let me say to you and to myself in one breath: Cultivate the tree which you have found to bear...

“Though I do not believe a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in...

 February 12, 2025. The Full Moon. The Snow Moon. Accompanied by five bright planets in view – Venus, Jupiter, Mars,...

…and let it begin with me… Greetings in this festive holiday season!! I hope you are doing well. As I...

In July of this year I had the honor of being selected by The Thoreau Society to present excerpts from...

If you are one of the people who has often said, “I’d love to write a book…” and that’s where...

“Though Thoreau considered himself an able woodsman, [Joe] Polis had much to impart to him, such as finding one’s way...

What is Sacred to You? This essay is an excerpt from my recently published book, Paddlin’ with Thoreau…Reflections from the...

This essay is an excerpt from my latest book, Paddlin’ with Thoreau… Just as we reached and soared to new...

When I was a little girl about eight years old, I subscribed to Highlights Magazine filled with fun learning activities....

Reflections from the Red Kayak “Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eyes...

Reflections from the Red Kayak “Books must be read as deliberately and reservedly as they were written. Books are the...

Reflections from the Red Kayak “Each new year is a surprise to us. We find that we had virtually forgotten...

Reflections from the Red Kayak The shore was kissed, by sea and mist, tenderly… The picture below I call a...

Reflections from the Red Kayak “The leaves are perfectly ripe. I wonder if there is any answering ripeness in the...

Saturday, September 3, 7:00a.m.-1:00 p.m. Marywood Spirituality Center, Arbor Vitae Facilitator: Author and Kayaker Mary Anne Smrz “Change: Our Ever-Present...

Reflections from the Red Kayak “Life isn’t about finding yourself; it’s about creating yourself.” Henry David Thoreau Author I love...

Reflections from the Red Kayak “Dwell as near as possible to the channel in which your life flows.” Henry David...

THE RED ORNAMENT OF TRUTH Happy New Year! As I re-read my holiday message from last year, I reflected on...