Love Letters: Dear Mrs. Daniel
I wanted one of my Love Letters to be to teachers, because … well, because teachers ARE love and NEED our love and support at this…
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What a Flush!
Recently, a short play that I wrote was selected by Play With Your Food, a beloved lunch-time play reading series, to be included in their February line-up. It was my first time…
Love Letters: Dear Theaters
Dear Theaters: I am talking to you, all of you – the precious spaces that encase us in art. I celebrate your seats, your black dusty…
Love Letters: Dear Hard Workers
Dear Hard Workers, I see you and gaze upon you with love and admiration as I watch you strive, dig-in, and commit. While I sit and…
Love Letters: Dear Kindness …
In the sprit of Valentine’s Day I decided to write a series of love letters which I am happy to share with you here. First up…
Company: Sorry, Grateful
I finally made it to the current revival of Company after two foiled attempts! This production is notable for a gender swap of the lead character…
A Journey through The Music Man
If memory serves, “The Music Man“ was the first live musical I ever saw. My parents took me to a community theatre production of it when…
Wavy Lines
I moved to Connecticut from New York City in 1992. The plan was always to go back. I thought it would be a few years, that…
Winter Positivity
Winter can be daunting, and this one brings with it challenges we never could have imagined. As I reflect on some of my writing, I see…
The Season of Not Knowing
Knowing makes me happy. Knowledge is essential to some of the activities I most enjoy, like planning and teaching and creating. Oh, and taking quizzes! I love…
Best of Blogs
As I ponder where my writing might take me next, I have compiled some of my favorite blogposts. Sharing these posts has given me great fulfillment through…
Theatrical Highlights of 2018 (Part II)
Continuing to share some of my favorite theatrical occasions of the year. Be sure to check out Part I Understudy I took my seat for Lobby…
Theatrical Highlights of 2018 (Part I)
If you know me, you know that I love the theatre. I have been wanting to write more about theatre and art but I keep getting…
Unexpected Gifts
Twice Around played a gig on Sunday. We were the opening act for the Irish duo Seafoam Green at a great concert series in New Haven…
Chances
A couple of years ago, I auditioned for a local theatre production. It was my first audition in forever, but the call of the stage is…
Air: A Diary of Breath
Stepping out of the 72nd street subway station, my shoulders soften at the sight of the Ansonia Building on my left, the Apple Bank building on my…
Dragons
Recently, I had the joyful, and humbling, experience of making art in the studio of a talented friend and client. She had invited my friend and I to join…
Volume
Its been over a year since I opened my private practice for yoga and massage and meditation . In some ways the time has flown ……
Generosity of Spirit
My Love and I are taking off soon for a vacation! Travel, for me, is one of life’s greatest joys and, as is the case with all things…
Jar of Ten
There are two things you may or may not know about me: 1) I have a hard time being consistent 2) I’m a girl who loves…
Love is All Around
Much has been said of the divisiveness permeating our Country today. Yes, it is there and it is unsettling. But there is something else I am…
Walls
Luisa’s note: This post is written by Jennifer Blankfein, one of my steadiest dance attendees. I love it because it champions the freedom and acceptance that…
Wake Up Strong
Last night I found myself on the couch under a blanket, reeling from the shock of this election. I felt paralyzed to do anything save for…
Hats
This is a piece I wrote back in 2011. Seeing as it is October and I find myself making some changes, it seemed a good time to…
Harvesting
I have never fancied myself much of a collector. That (seemingly) fanatical drive to seek out and amass Barbies, stamps, ornaments, etc., is beyond me. Plus,…
80’s Movies: A Love Affair (and Quasi Book Review)
While browsing through a quaint bookshop last week, drawing my hand across stacked paperbacks on a table, I touched down on Hadley Freeman’s Life Moves Pretty…
Stop & Smell the Peonies – A guest blog from Lisa Olson
Lisa Olson is the creator of 8 Days Workshops, which are a lovely blend of creative writing, personal retreat, soul searching and connecting with similar souls.…
No Brainer
Ideas can land on you from above, like a gift from the Gods. This phenomenon has happened to me when writing, especially songwriting. Suddenly there is…
Rubik’s Cube
Have you ever had the sense that you’re working on something? Something deep, brewing within you, calling your name. You are chewing on an idea, dusting…
Roots
In my recent workshop, we used a variety of artistic mediums to explore creative “assignments” — writing, drawing, photography, etc. This was born of the notion that…
Languages
While out to dinner the other night, my Love and I were discussing goals for the New Year. As he listed some of his, I reflected…
Seeking Silence
Silence. Listen for it. Can you hear it in the space between words? Between the whir of moving vehicles, the cell phone chatter, the music, the…
Who Am I?
My recent online Journaling Experience featured 10 days of questions designed to help us gain a better understanding of our identity, what drives us and what…
NEW Journaling Experience Starts Nov 1st!
I am hosting a NEW journaling workshop starting this Sunday 11/1. It is all done via email so you can participate from anywhere at your own time…
Holding Back
I love to sing! It is from my soul. Lucky for me, I am part of an acoustic duo so, for many years, I have had…
California Connection
Southern California was home for the first 19 years of my life. It witnessed my formation and, of course, it helped to form me. The area…
Ebb & Flow
There is an ebb and flow to virtually all things. It is nature’s way. The tide must go in to come out, our favorite Season builds…
Sparkle and Quirk
I stand before my closet of clothes. These are all clothes I picked out, perfectly fine clothes, but nothing here feels right today. Nothing says “ME”…
Sparks
Passion. We can yearn for it like a long lost lover. It can feel out of reach or far removed. We remember how we felt when…
Nerves
This past week I taught a yoga class. Even though I teach yoga all the time in private practice, this was the first time in a long…
In Defense of Ease
Myth: I need to summon strength and courage to make my dreams come true. Why a myth? It sounds reasonable. But recently I had a shift…
Sunny Disposition
This past week I was vacationing out West and spent several Fantastic days with my Sister and my three nephews in Los Angeles. We grew up…
Whispers From the Cocoon
Dear Self, Yes, yes I get it. You have a hard time in Winter. You want to lie on the couch, yet you don’t WANT to want that and so you…
Expressions and JournalTalk!
Expressions Remix: A 21 Day Creative Journaling Workshop starts MONDAY 1/12! The first day of any of my online creative journaling workshops in exciting! There is…
Stories, Old and New
A New Year. Fresh and shiny. It beckons with possibility. The “thing to do” in a New Year is to make resolutions and set goals. I…
Crickets
Inspiration can be elusive. There are phases in life when you have so much to express you don’t know where to begin. Then there are those…
Small Business Gratitude
Small Business Saturday is the latest addition to the Holiday shopping lexicon. After fighting the crowds on Black Friday and before settling in at your computer…
Symphony: A Blogpost in Four Movements
Prelude When we were kids, my sister and I attended many symphony concerts at the University of California Riverside. Mind you, this was not our choice.…
Kaleidoscope
The fabric of your being is multi-colored, poly-textural and glorious. You are in fact kaleidoscopic. Depending on where you are and whom you are with, your…
Harvesting
I have never fancied myself much of a collector. That (seemingly) fanatical drive to seek out and amass Barbies, stamps, ornaments, etc., is beyond me. Plus,…
Time and Time Again
Please note: What follows is not a lament on aging. Granted, it may appear so, but really, it is not. Being of a Zen nature and…
Just Go Ahead and Flop
This past Friday, while in New York, I took a dance class. I have been doing this lately on Fridays, going to the city to take…
Skillfulness
My recent change of schedule has yielded me more free time. This is exactly what I intended, of course, but free time by itself can be…
Studio Spaces
The narrow staircase of a dance studio has special meaning for me. I walked up my first important stairway to dance at age 13. It was…
My Notebook
I process my thoughts and feelings in writing much better than I do using spoken words. So, as you might imagine, my journal is a one…
Courting Change
Change comes to me on a breeze. It is a whisper in my ear, a stirring in my belly. It gives voice to a place in…
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Tonys
Last year I made a plan to see a show every month and then go to the Tony Awards. It was a project chosen to celebrate…
Generous
Generosity is a virtue. It is in the upper echelon of human qualities and luckily, it is quality we all possess. Sharing can manifest in all…
Expressions Starts Monday!
I love writing in my journal. It is such a magnificent way to process your feelings and it is ALWAYS enlightening to see what comes out…
Curtain Up!
Last June I made a pact with myself to see one Broadway show a month for a year (you can read about that here). All of…
HaHaHaHaHa!!
Coming out of this loooong, coooolllld, snowwwyyy winter, we are all looking closely for signs of Spring. Thankfully we see them: the air is starting to…
Tuning In
You know that moment when you are intently trying to hear something? A drip, a click, a hum, something just off in the distance. You close…
Best Picture Review
It’s Oscar time and that means I have been in full movie-going mode! I have seen ALL the films that are nominated in the top 8…
Friendship: It Is Love
My favorite Valentine’s Day ever was when I was about 16 years old. My friend Erika and I had the kind of lonely hearts reserved for…
Philip and Heath
There is one moment in the recent history of the Academy Awards that has haunted me. In 2006 Heath Ledger did NOT win Best Actor for…
Fail Better
A few years ago I wrote about the Swiss tennis player Stanislas Wawrinka.(you can read that here) I mused about what it might be like for…
Strength Variations
Strength manifests in different ways. We know people whose bodies are solid, those who have tenacious hearts, those with impenetrable conviction, those who are strong-willed. We…
Harmony
har·mo·ny: A pleasing combination of elements in a whole Imagine a choir performing a beautiful song. Hear all the textures, the layers of tone, the dynamics…
A Thank You Project
Can you remember a moment in your life when someone surprised you with a thank you? Not because you gave them a gift or did something…
Creative Conundrums – Hooray!
As a kid , I always loved a creative challenge. When bored, I would ask my Mom to make-up quizzes for me. My sister and I often made…
Why Not Now?
People all around me seem to be taking bold steps. Somehow the time has ripened for them to claim ownership of their lives and take a…
The Glass Menagerie
Staying true to my Theatrical Plan to see a show a month, I headed to the city on Saturday to get in my September viewing. Since…
Play Ball!
I wrote this piece in the 2012 but the hero of my tale, Stan Wawrinka has just earned his way into a Semi-Final of the US…
Hot Shot
When I was in third grade I was bullied by a group of girls who were alternately my friends and my enemies. On any given day…
Ode to Whimsy
Each season of the year has an essence, a theme, a distinction. We note a certain feeling in the air. Seasons are one experience that we…
Is That Mustard?
We spent last Sunday in Brooklyn with some of our favorite people, family that we dearly love. We wandered through DUMBO and took in beautiful views…
National Dance Day!
Saturday July 27th is National Dance Day! This was started by Nigel Lythgoe (of the great TV show So You Think You Can Dance and the…
Car Ride
Day to day we interact, we run about, we do our work. Responsibilities are met, conversations are had, things get resolved, organized, accomplished. We do all…
A Theatrical Plan
Did you know that you can buy a ticket to go to the Tony Awards? Like, just go to Ticketmaster and get yourself a ticket? No…
What Did You Say??
If you want to be really unpopular among your peers, try this: on a test day declare how much you LOVE taking tests. Trust me, no…
Pilgrimage
I hop the 1:32 train to Grand Central Station to go see Before Midnight before I accidentally hear anything about it. (Here’s why) My paranoia about…
Movie Love: Before Sunrise
My list of all-time favorite movies is not static. It fluctuates depending on my mood, my phase of life, etc. I even have it sub-divided into…
Spontaneous Truth
Thinking can sometimes get in your way. This is not to disparage thinking entirely, for it is surely one of the joys of being human. Having…
Night at the Museum
I recently finished Lisa Olson’s 8 Days of Joy Workshop. One day our assignment was simply: do something that brings you joy. What fun! Since…
The Friends We Made Along the Way: A Love Letter to Sacramento – by guest blogger Muddy Kinzer
Luisa’s note: Muddy Kinzer has a wonderful blog, Muddying the Waters, where she makes you laugh, cry and totally relate to the joys and trials of motherhood,…
Emerge
One of the sweetest moments of the year is that first glimpse of flowers breaking through the earth, showing their green. It signals that something beautiful…
The Take Away
I’ve been stalling, hoping I might be magically inspired to to write about something other than loss. Alas, my muses seem to prefer the truth, so…
Escape, Enchantment & Ewan McGregor
Movies are a treasure chest brimming with soulful jewels. They can stir deep emotion, challenge your intellect and tear at your empathy. Sometimes, though, you just…
Struggle – February Newsletter
A certain amount of struggle is natural in life. It is not necessarily a bad thing and is often a pathway to growth. Think of watching…
Day 18
On Day 18 the movie viewing stopped. This end was foreshadowed on Day 16 when, after viewing The Impossible, I checked my phone to find 3…
Movie Reviews: The First 10 Days
Ok, I’ll admit it. I have always secretly yearned to be a film critic. Roger Ebert, in my view, has the greatest career ever. He excels…
Keep Coming Back
Creating a healthy habit requires several things. Firstly, you have to want it. Then you have to make it possible and commit to it. The other…
31 Days, 31 Movies
Movies make me feel like anything is possible. My parents took us to the movies often when we were kids. Siskel & Ebert were household names.…
Feel and Let Feel
In putting together my playlist for Sunday’s dance class I wanted to choose songs that would be appropriate in light of the tragedy in Newtown, a…
Touch is Love
I lay my hands on his frail leg led by instinct and a desire to ease his pain. His love is strong, his body weak. My…
I Shall Believe
Recently, I wrote about a teacher who was a wonderful mentor to me. It got me thinking. A single person standing solidly in your corner is…
Helpers – November Newsletter
There are certain people in this World who are natural helpers. They see a need and, without ever being asked, they take to action. You know…
Leisure
Do you like to do jigsaw puzzles? This was a question posed to me the other day which led to a really interesting discussion. The answer…
This Thing and That – Oct Newsletter
When people learn that I am a yoga teacher they tend to conjure up ideas about my personality. For example, here are three things sometimes assumed…
Use Your Words
I am in Barcelona with mi novio. Please note my restraint in not using all capital letters and lots of exclamation points for that sentence. Travel…