The click is shocking — but I’m hooked. Facing my fear of drowning & how I became a superhero with goggles — “Mom, just do it!” I stretched my goggles over my head, tiptoed into the Pacific Ocean, past my knees, thighs, and then above my belly button. I wanted to quit right there — the water was freezing. My 10-year old son dived in and splashed me — I screamed, he…

Turning upside down to turn yourself around — This summer, I mastered my first headstand and braved my writing fears. I’m not a fitness guru or physically extraordinary, but I’ve been pushing myself to try harder in the realm of exercise and defy 50 and middle age. Despite being clumsy, uncoordinated, and filled with self-doubt, I knew it was time to stop procrastinating and take the steps to better my…

The power of grit vs. the poison of envy — She’s ripped, strong, and gorgeous — and I was raging with envy. “Wow — she looks amazing for her age. There’s no way we could look like that.” My friend, “The Doubter,” said this to me a few years ago at Christmastime in response to a photo I’d shown her…

How underdogs chase progress not perfection — “Are you just learning to swim?” That’s what a stranger asked me while I was joyfully swimming in the Pacific Ocean. I laughed and replied. “Oh — am I that bad?” I told him I’d been practicing open water swimming regularly for the past two years and I was surprised…

2022 Cooking Challenge (24 Easy Recipes, with links to each one) “I can’t believe I cooked it!” — I’ve completed my 2022 Cooking Challenge — and made 24 different meals for my 3-person family (that I’ve never cooked before)! You can read my initial cooking challenge here. …

2022 Cooking Challenge (#24 Paneer Masala) “I can’t believe I cooked it!” — Woohoo! I’ve made it to the final dish for my cooking challenge — this is #24 of 24 food dishes I’ve cooked (that I’ve never cooked before). You can read my initial cooking challenge here and my halfway-through-the-challenge mark here, which includes links to recipes #1–12. …

November Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Collecting Smiles” — Nature meets writer with a stick. I know Vidya will figure this out right away, but if you haven’t guessed what the photo says, it’s “Collecting Smiles.” I walked the seawall with friends on the weekend, and we stopped at the beach. I picked up a stick and wrote a few messages, but I saved this…

2022 Cooking Challenge (#23 Pan Fried Salmon) “I can’t believe I cooked it!” — My cooking challenge continues — this is #23 of 24 food dishes I’ve cooked (that I’ve never cooked before). You can read my initial cooking challenge here and my halfway-through-the-challenge mark here, which includes links to the first dozen recipes. I’ve baked salmon in the past, but this is the…