by Marlene Bumgarner | Oct 31, 2020 | Aging, Back to the Land, Books, Family, Writing
Writing as Healing In this time of Shelter in Place, many of us have turned to gardening, baking, or writing to help us stay focused and grounded. I have done all of those things, but mostly I write. Writing is how I make meaning out of seemingly meaningless events,...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Oct 15, 2020 | Family, Grandparenting
Call to Action After many months of sheltering in place, I was preparing for a visit from my youngest grandchild. For her 4th birthday, her parents had reserved a space at a nearby campground where we could safely social distance. I’d been collecting hobby...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Sep 29, 2020 | Community, Cooking and Eating, Family, Gardening, Health
Doldrums in the Morning I didn’t want to get out of bed this morning. That’s unusual for me – I usually bounce up, starving, with the beginnings of a coffee headache, open the blinds and the sliding door beside my bed so Kismet can go out, and head...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Aug 27, 2020 | Aging, Family, Health
Love at First Touch – Massaging Away Pain I never expected a simple trip to buy vegetables to change my life, but it did. I met Maria Fernandez at the Santa Cruz Farmer’s Market where she was offering five-minute massages. My body hurt that day, as it always...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Aug 4, 2020 | Back to the Land, Cooking and Eating, Family, Gardening, Health
Help! My Lettuce is Bolting. The heatwave that hit Santa Cruz recently fried my chard leaves and caused the leaf lettuce to bolt. Looking at the gangly plants, overnight grown to four feet in height, I wondered why we call this sudden growth “bolting.” I...
by Marlene Bumgarner | Jul 16, 2020 | Back to the Land, Books, Family, Good Reads, Writing
Transition from Writer to Author – it’s crazy! I’ve been absent from these pages for nearly month. A month that at times felt like a year, and at other times like a single moment. So I thought it only fair that I bring my loyal readers, and my new...