Published inAbout Me Stories·PinnedMember-onlyAbout Me — Cat StravinoI have gotten old too darn fast. — I spent a good portion of my life raising four children (in what I describe as my conservative Christian period) only to get divorced. I had to re-invent myself. Change is the only constant. I embraced it fully in 2017. I learned to say “Yes!” to new things and since that time I have had…About Me3 min readAbout Me3 min read
Published inThe Wind Phone·7 hours agoMember-onlyPoetry — A Powerful Antidote to PainAs proven by the way a simple poem spoke to this woman’s trauma — I knew it was meant to be from the minute I was notified that I had won a place in the Art and Text contest of 2019 at the Norwalk Public Library, a place that was once my hometown and the public library — my sanctuary inside that hamlet. Little…Serendipity5 min readSerendipity5 min read
Published inThe Lark·1 day agoMember-onlyAs a Feather FallsPoetry — I sat, paddle poised, in the middle of the lake and saw it skip and swirl, skip and swirl as it dropped from the tail of the great heron It felt like a long, slow hour but it was only seconds of dancing, skipping, swirling before it landed in my canoe…Nature2 min readNature2 min read
Published inThe Memoirist·4 days agoMember-onlyThe Final Gift — A SuitcaseWas it foreshadowing? Was there a deeper meaning? — It was Christmas 2015 and my husband and four children and I were at our home in Connecticut. The fire roared and our living room floor was covered in wrapping paper when I unwrapped what would be the final gift my husband ever gave me. It was a suitcase, made…Change4 min readChange4 min read
Published inSNAPSHOTS·6 days agoMember-onlySavor Spanish Cuisine: Exquisite Flavors and Stunning Visual DelightsArt that was made to be eaten must be savored especially after the hilly hike of the El Norde section of the El Camino — It is a sin not to photograph food that is created and presented as art, so I have done my duty, hoping if you find yourself in need of a Michelin star rated restaurant after…Food4 min readFood4 min read
Published inThe Memoirist·May 26Member-onlyFeeding GrandmaMy last goodbye, a simple act of love — It was the summer of 1998 and I was torn. My grandmother had a stroke and was in assisted living in western Pennsylvania. My husband had limited vacation time and wanted to visit the shore. I was expecting our fourth child. We looked like the Clampetts from the Beverly Hillbillies…Grandparentslove5 min readGrandparentslove5 min read
Published inThe Lark·May 21Member-onlyJust So You KnowWith apologies to William Carlos Williams — based… — Poetry1 min readPoetry1 min read
Published inWalking Camino·May 21Member-onlyOur Final Hike: Lezama to BilbaoSunshine and a loving son — what more could an old lady want? — The hike to Bilbao started out as an ascent. We climbed out of Lezama, a rather industrial town compared to most we had been through. If you missed the journey up to this point, check it out here: My El Camino Journey: From Guernica to Lezama Is this adventure a metaphor for our relationship? I wondermedium.com We knew this was not to be a 23 km. day, like…Hiking3 min readHiking3 min read
Published inWalking Camino·May 15Member-onlyMy El Camino Journey: From Guernica to LezamaIs this adventure a metaphor for our relationship? I wonder — We found the trail in Guernica and hopped on.Travel3 min readTravel3 min read
Published inWalking Camino·May 15Member-onlyGuernicaBasque Country turns out to be the Belfast of Spain — The same cabbie that delivered us returned in the morning to take us to Guernica, (following a traditional continental style breakfast that included my fresh strawberries.) The cabbie had played jai alai in Florida and wanted to practice his English. Good thing, because my Spanish still sucks. (The jai also…Travel4 min readTravel4 min read
