In light of the continuing chaos in Congress and the White House, I suggest we savor summer. In reality, whether you are vacationing or not (I’m not), the pace is slower, the day is longer, the twilight is more delicious. Certainly there are deadlines, but don’t you find people are a little less stressed out about them?

I shared this gorgeous poem by Danna Faulds in class this week, and I thought you would enjoy it, too.

I practice a form of meditation called Vipassana, which means to see things as they really are. A very ancient form of meditation, it is said to have been rediscovered by the Buddha over 2500 years ago and has been passed down by an unbroken chain of teachers to the present day.

Over the July 4th week, I was thinking a lot about independence, and what that quality can mean to a creative and wholesome life.

Especially for women.

Have you heard of the zero waste movement? The term “zero waste” comes from manufacturing, and the goal of sending zero waste to landfills. Interestingly, at least 20 large-scale US manufacturers had achieved zero waste status as of 2015 — no wonder some of them objected to President Trump pulling out of the Paris Accords! They’re already way ahead of the curve.

Gleaming black olives, dusty purple eggplants, emerald kale, a splash of scarlet tomatoes on freshly made golden corn tortillas…  I cook with my eyes. Color matters, texture matters, flavor matters. I rarely use recipes. I find my art supplies at the farmer’s market on Saturday morning, and my favorite season is now, summer, when the market is brimming with seasonal surprises.