California is my first home and where I thrive. Yet, like the green chili that smothers most any other food in Santa Fe, I must return for a taste of this contrasted world of rodeo to opera.
Taking Democracy Away from Lady Liberty
Something has gone awry, however. It appears the massive power and wealth of these fictitious persons have leaped from the board room into the halls of our Capitol. With a corporation unable to maintain a moral compass by it very legal definition, democracy, you and I mean little.
The Diary of Campground No-Sense
Within the hour I will become a camper, something I haven’t done since I was 23. Um, that was 43 years ago—not counting my stays at Motel 6 here and there along Interstate 40.
Besides a campout with my camp-virgin spouse, the diabetic cat, Mouser, comes with too.
Respect Remains Forever
I tossed and turned so much last night, that the cat grumbled a harumph and hopped off the bed. I joined him on the living room sofa… Read more “Respect Remains Forever”
Why volunteer? ’We make a life by what we give’
As published in The Cambrian …by what you give A periodical column by Charmaine Coimbra I was the shadow. Black covered my tiny body from the shiny… Read more “Why volunteer? ’We make a life by what we give’”
Highway One–Life’s Signposts
Like pathways, roads fascinate me. It might be the natural metaphor that roads imbue. Or it’s a simple how we leave and how we arrive and all… Read more “Highway One–Life’s Signposts”
Belligerence vs. Grace
I’m all about free speech. I’m all about the right to own a weapon. But the difference from me and Mrs. Geller who recently hosted a free speech event to mock another’s faith, and the difference from me and the two men who brought their legal guns to shoot down those who wish to mock their faith is a chasm wider than the distance from here to Neptune.
Premonition
I’m hardly a wiz-bang psychic and woman of the crystal-ball sight. And I wondered if others get these premonitions that eventually impact their day-to-day life. So I asked friends on Facebook, “PREMONITIONS. Do you get them? And more importantly, how many were spot-on? Do you act upon them? Do you get them about other people? Is this silly mumbo-jumbo?”
Hard Hearts Beat on Earth Day
Oh I do care and am concerned about the health of our oceans. But I’m not marching in the streets, writing letters to the editor, or shouting on talk radio shows. What I do is edit and write a blog called Neptune 911 that reports, from solid and reliable sources, news about the oceans. My concern doesn’t come from Google-U. It comes from direct experience and seeing the issues with plastics in the ocean, university sponsored workshops led by leading oceanographers, marine biologists, etc.; and webinars sponsored by same universities and the National Science Foundation
Politics Weary? Host A Chili Cook-Off
Wee buildings in crayon colors lined the dirt lot next to the Veteran’s Hall.It’s a local Lion’s Club property called Pinedorado. There, eight chili-heads brewed up their best concoctions. Besides the beauteous aroma, the quest for trophy-winning chili trumped our nation’s political divide. There was joy, friendship, and the real America—volunteers, community and visitors waiting for the tasting and judging to begin.
The Muse Pallet 