Photo by Mary K. Doyle Canadian Geese, Koi fish, Anderson Japanese Garden, Rockford, IL * Need a Mother’s Day gift? Tranquility. Transformation. Transcendence is a peaceful book with beautiful photos and poems ..read more

Baby laughs, voices of loved ones, ocean waves, wind chimes, bird songs and chatter, just about any kind of music, gentle rainfall, friendly dog barks, laughter, and group prayer. What am I forgetting? So many sounds affect how we feel, stir emotions, and bring back memories. How often do we hear a song, and we are right back at a high school dance, rocking our babies, or singing in the car with a friend. What are your favorite sounds? *Video Recording by Mary K. Doyle **Photo by Mary K. Doyle (My two then 2-year-old grandsons, Tyler and Daniel, sharing a joke about who knows what, June 2015 ..read more

*Help your caregiver friends help themselves. Give them the books that will offer guidance and support. Navigating Alzheimer’s, The Alzheimer’s Spouse, Inspired Caregiving ..read more

Female ducks are doing a happy dance and the males are showing off. Frogs are scoping for the perfect mate. Turtles are enjoying family time on the island. Others are starting families of their own. Remember, what happens on Turtle Island, stays on the island. *Photos by Mary K. Doyle. Lake Marmo, The Morton Arboretum, Lisle, IL ..read more

A new family is on the Fox River. At least this group is new to me. I was out looking for flowering trees when I spotted double-crested cormorants gathered on driftwood in the middle of the river. I’d never seen these birds before. Another photographer filled me in on some of the basics. Double-crested cormorants are large waterbirds with long, thin, hooked bills. Adults are dark brown with small patches of yellow-orange on the face. The birds sport stringy, black or white tufts of feathers during the breeding season. When I watched them fly, I was surprised how they flew with bursts of cho ..read more

Piracy is not an admirable occupation, but I have to admit I’m fascinated with one of the most successful pirates in history. Zheng Yi Sao (also known as Ching Shih, Cheng I Sao, Ching Yi Sao, and Mrs. Cheng) led a formidable confederation of pirates that resisted the imperial Chinese, British, and Portuguese navies. For more than three years she commanded a team of pirates that reigned terror along the southern coast of China robbing civilians, murdering, and capturing slaves. Zheng Yi Sao was born in 1775. She most likely entered prostitution at a young age serving customers on a floating b ..read more

Photo by Mary K. Doyle ..read more

The light gradually dims, and the drums rumble. The show’s about to begin. The wind is in a frenzy. Clouds rush out on stage. Lightning shoots across the sky.    The rain makes a grand entrance, pouring down in sheets,  pauses, then sends out the hail.    Suddenly, the stage is clear. a rainbow appears, and the graceful sun glides in.   Applause.  The poem above is an expression of our unpredictable weather conditions. Currently, it can be everything at once. In the last few years, we’ve seen drastic conditions mixed with pleasant, sunny days. Anyt ..read more

Question: Has a goose ever landed on your head? I didn’t think so. I doubt that it is a common occurrence. But it recently happened to me. No joke. Go ahead and laugh. At the time, I didn’t think it was funny. I was leaving a funeral luncheon and searching for my car, which is a common occurrence. A goose walked up to me, checked me out, and then flew so close that I ducked. (Think of the children’s game, Duck, Duck, Goose.) But instead of flying overhead, the massive bird landed on my head. Its giant webbed feet grasped my skull like a tight-fitting hat. The creature was bigger and heavier t ..read more

Baby Dreams Dreams full of babes. Large, medium, small. I do not know them, but I love them all. Snuggled in my arms in my dreams each night. They don’t cry or fuss when I hold them tight. I don’t understand, and I do not care. If babies need me, I want to be there. * It’s true that babies of all sizes, shapes, and colors are in my dreams. They rarely have to do with the “topic” of the dream. They are just with me, around me, and in my arms, and are content to be there. The poem above was sparked by a digital image of a lovely woman and baby created by my talented WordPress colleague, Kevin ..read more