Retirement Day #2446 Wednesday March 11, 2026 Last Friday, as I slipped the bridle onto my horse, I heard the not so  gentle rumble of distant thunder. I paused – “hmm- never had a lesson during a thunderstorm before – this could be a disaster  interesting.” As I entered the arena, I saw my trainer, Jenn, look at her phone with a quirky half-smile on her face. The rain began to fall – hard and heavy – on the metal roof of the arena. If you’ve ever been in a barn or similar me

Monday March 2, 2026 Retirement Day #2437 I’ve been thinking a lot about mortality lately: death, dying, loss, grief  – you know – cheerful thoughts of spring. Ever since covid, I seem to find myself attending a funeral/memorial/celebration of life nearly every month. Part of this is due to age – in my late 60s, with a husband in his mid-70s, means that those we have known the longest are starting to keel over. But last Wednesday I heard the tragic news that a young woman who

February 24, 2026 Retirement Day #2342 I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of her is more than I can see. She is not like me at all from her wag up to her nose And I see her leap before me, when into my bed I goes.   The funniest thing about her is the way she likes to watch— Not at all like proper shadows, she’s a bona fide beeyatch; And she sometimes shoots up taller after any bouncy ball, And she sometimes chews a stick until there'

Tuesday February 17, 2026 Retirement Day #2424 It’s a big day for the Cosmos: Mardi Gras [aka Fat Tuesday] heralds the onset of Lent, the Lunar New Year welcomes the Fire Horse, a comet [31/Atlas] is passing through our solar system and a rare New Moon Annular [ ring-of-fire ] Solar Eclipse in Aquarius is rumored to begin an 18 month cycle focused on innovation and social change. We’re talking self-discipline & sacrifice [Lent], combined with rapid, transformative change and

Retirement Day #2422 Saturday February 14, 2026 1967: I’m sitting in on my bed, counting and assessing the various valentines from my classmates. I DK if they still do this in elementary school, but in 1967, it was a big deal to give valentines to all your classmates. We decorated shoeboxes with red hearts and lace, cutting slits in the tops to serve as convenient pseudo-mail slots in which our many admirers could deposit their [ usually homemade ] expressions of admiration

[Feeling Grateful] November 23, 2025 Retirement Day #2316 “Anything forced or misunderstood can never be beautiful.” –Xenophon [350B.C.] I was asked the other day “why dressage?” in reference to one of my more passionate retirement pursuits. Some people get 2 nd  homes, boats, go on cruises…. I got a horse. At first, it was about continuing a subtle connection with my daughter, who, in her teen years, rode and showed her horse StarBuck  [a Lippitt Morgan who, ironically enoug

11/10/2025 Retirement Day #2303 Last weekend I attended the H2 dance concert at the Knickerbocker Theater in Holland, MI. The performance was remarkable thanks to a strong senior class of dancers presenting with qualitative range and technical capacity. The tap, jazz/hip-hop and contemporary choreography was entertaining and satisfying. It was delightfully nostalgic to see Ray Tadio’s “Chandra Duet #1” again – a powerful work originally created 20 [WHAT?!?] years ago and per

[based on true-ish events]   Introduction: This is the story of how a horse who was ghosted and a woman who was a ghost before her time found each other on that backroad between the Living and the Lost. Like all good ghost stories, it begins with tragedy and a curse.   I.          Tragedy: Exit, Love Part a:   Moon was a beautiful pearl-gray Morgan-Andalusian crossbreed - a rare breed with a rarer coat color that shimmers in the sunlight and disappears in the muffled white da

Dedicated to Judy, Billy & Max Retirement Day #2251 Introduction Classes began  at Hope College last week and, for the 7 th year, I’m...

08/01/2025 Retirement Day #2222 M. Linda Graham   Several Years ago, I wrote a blog about the “why” behind my counting of retirement days...

May 12, 2025 A few weeks back I received an unexpected call from an alum who currently lives and works in Cincinnati, OH. She and her...

44yrs ago, I became a member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (1981-1982). One of the reasons I auditioned for the company was...

An Argo & Lucca Happy New Year CyberCard! [click on the link] https://youtu.be/Q4d76yxRV1I

Or: Body Whack-A-Mole #6 Pt. 2 September 29, 2024 RD #1917 Operation Eagle-Eye: Vision Quest: an accurate description for what I’m...

Monday September 4, 2024 Retirement Day #1892 Don't get me wrong, I dearly love harvest time - but it is September 4, and at this point,...

Tues. August 14, 2024 Retirement Day #1872 Several years ago, I wrote a blog about how, at the age of 7, my myopia was discerned,...

June 3, 2024 Retirement Day #1800 “World Death Rate Holding Steady at 100%” – Headline from The Onion, Jan. 22, 1997 None Of Us Gets Out...

My brothers and I stayed with Uncle Stu and Aunt Tommy when Mom gave birth to my sister. The day also happened to be Easter. To preoccupy...

Retirement Day #1700 One week ago today, Holland, MI witnessed a unique celebration at Hope College. Over 250 Dancers of all ages,...

Retirement Day # 1602: This is a little awkward – I don’t want to brag, but…. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling rested, light, content,...