The goodness of nature

In honor of all the folks who are traveling this 4th of July weekend and of all of us who are staying home, here are some photos from my recent trip to northern California. Once you get out of the cities, the place settles the soul. There's more.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays & brrrrrrrrr

By Diane Silver

In a fit of wisdom on Thursday, I finished my Christmas shopping. The refrigerator and pantry have also been stuffed with food for the holidays. My agenda for today is a little work on the computer, a little house cleaning and a lot of Christmas wrapping.

Outside at this moment, the snow is so thick the air is white and the temperature is plunging. A bit ago, we heard thunder. (I'm not kidding.) Inside, hot tea is at hand, it's dry, we have power and heat, and my family is close.

May you find home and warmth this holiday season. May your family be close at hand, whether that's your family of origin or those you chose later in life. May peace fill your heart.

PHOTOS: The first two photos were taken from my front porch with my fingers freezing as I held the camera. The third photo is from my back porch (fingers going numb). The bottom one was taken from inside, shooting out my front door and through our Christmas wreath.