Tag: love

The Three Bears

Posted on February 24, 2025 by JANET L BARKER

For those who have never lived on their own, might be afraid, anxious about silence, worried about fixing things, the idea of cooking for one, being responsible for paying one’s bills—-don’t be. You can do it. You can handle it. I know because not… Continue Reading “The Three Bears”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #California, #cambria, #faith, #grandmother, #hope, #livingmybestlife, #peace, #retiredteacher, #retirement, #roomofmyown, #thelittlethings, #vanlife, #writerslife, #writing, @retirement, blog, coastal-california, family, life, love, mental-health, retired-teacher, san-luis-obispo-county, tiny-home

Mermaid Cove

Posted on February 21, 2025 by JANET L BARKER

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I’m in my Enya phase—-again. A wispy, cloudy, bubbly, dream state of being. Honestly. Honestly. Honestly. I am living my dream, a dream I’ve held onto through all, the ups and downs, the beginnings and endings and now I’m in the Now. The Now I’ve… Continue Reading “Mermaid Cove”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #bucketlist, #cambria, #centralcoastcalifornia, #coastalcalifornia, #dreamcometrue, #fulfillingadream, #grandparent, #hope, #lifeizgood, #love, #writersresidency, #writing, family, life, livingthedream, love, mental-health

Today, she is free

Posted on January 13, 2025 by JANET L BARKER

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Love is … Remember that 1970s back-of-the-newspaper, black and white simple line-drawn “cartoon”? That’s what I’m thinking about while I’m thinking about the trauma of the last week and the national politics of the forthcoming. What is love? And how can love sustain us… Continue Reading “Today, she is free”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #cambria, #cattledogs, #doglove, #dogs, #findingpeace, #gratitude, #grief, #hope, #loss, #lossofadog, #love, #loveandloss, #petloss, death, lossofapet, love

Simplicity vs. Elaboration

Posted on January 8, 2025 by JANET L BARKER

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I’m leaving. Again. I’m melancholy. Again. I don’t want to leave. Again. But I do. Again and again. Everywhere I leave I love. Same goes for the people I leave. Like my visit with Julie and Ken two days ago or my Littles in… Continue Reading “Simplicity vs. Elaboration”

Category: #beachcamping, #californiastateparks, #camping, #central coast, #centralcoast, #gmashavingfun, #grandparents, #hope, #ilovecalifornia, #lifeizgood, #pismobeach, #pleasureway, #solowomencamping, #vanlife, #wintercampingalongthecoastTags: #camping, #campingfriends, #faith, #findinghope, #findinglove, #friendship, #godswhispers, #pismobeach, #pismobeachstatepark, #solocamping, #travelinggrandma, #trust, #vanlife, #writing, campingsolo, family, life, love, lovethyneighbor, mental-health, womencampingsolo

Hurts Like Hell

Posted on November 6, 2024 by JANET L BARKER

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The flight home from New York this morning post-election is grey and quiet. I swear, it’s not my imagination, but no woman I’ve encountered is smiling. Our faces are flat, expressionless, guarded—-traumatized. When we cautiously acknowledge one another, seeking those who understand, our eyes… Continue Reading “Hurts Like Hell”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #election2024, #feelingthefeelings, #kamalaharris, #lessonslearned, #loss, #nowwhat?, #painfulloss #itsucks, #relationships, #whathope?, 2024presidentialelection, blog, dontdiscountwomen, life, love, mental-health, womensvote

Nothing is an Accident

Posted on October 14, 2024 by JANET L BARKER

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I’ve been traveling since August 8, returning to the South Bay briefly to attend my friend’s funeral. I won’t be back to my home turf until October 18 where I’ll visit, errand, and reconnect with family and friends before leaving on my Fall Sojourn… Continue Reading “Nothing is an Accident”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #apparitions, #bridgeport, #camping, #easternsierras, #faith, #forestservicecampgrounds, #gratitude, #hiking, #ilovecalifornia, #journaling, #lifeizgood, #love, #maytheforestbewithyou, #Nature, #peace, #solowomencampers, #solowomencamping, #theoppositeofpolitics, #travel, #trust, #twinlakes, #writing, fallleaves, love, nosuchthingasaccidents, outdoors

Friendship

Posted on October 4, 2024 by JANET L BARKER

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At a back to school-type assembly at his private school in Pacific Palisades, my nephew was asked to publicly proclaim to classmates and the well-heeled adults gathered in the auditorium his goal for third grade: I want to make good friends. D is the most… Continue Reading “Friendship”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #beingvulnerable, #bestfriends, #children, #friends, #friendship, #lessons, #makingfriends, #maryoliver, #outofthemouthsofbabes, family, friendships, life, love

Just one more day….

Posted on August 23, 2024 by JANET L BARKER

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It was just the start of Summer. The boys were out of school and we had six weeks of exciting adventures ahead of us. And now it’s back to school and in a month, it will be Fall. Each season is welcomed, necessary, but… Continue Reading “Just one more day….”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #California, #education, #grandparents, #hope, #love, #retirement, #teaching, love

But today, it is.

Posted on May 26, 2024 by JANET L BARKER

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Moss hangs from a sea of aged oak trees, dancing in the wind outside my friends’ forest-shrouded home in Atascadero, California. I’m residing here for a weekish, babysitting their two precious mini dachshunds as their mum and dad vacation in Kauai. Their original dog… Continue Reading “But today, it is.”

Category: #gmashavingfun, #grandparents, #hope, #lifeizgood, @retirementTags: #bestfriends, #dogsitting, #faith, #findingpeace, #friends, #friendship, #happiness, #housesitting, #lessons, #memorialday, #Nature, #peace, #poetry, #relaxing, @retirement, life, love, spirituality

My Big, Strong Brother

Posted on May 18, 2024 by JANET L BARKER

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My big, strong brother woke me and his wife up this morning. 6 a.m. Florida time or as my body clock reminds me every time I fly to the East Coast, 3 a.m., but after two days gallivanting around the Magic Kingdom and Epcot… Continue Reading “My Big, Strong Brother”

Category: UncategorizedTags: #disney, #disneyworld, #familyvacations, #florida, #forgiveness, #hope, #kindness, #orlando, #travel, disney-world, epcot, love, walt-disney-world

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