For weeks Leslie and I have known that driving our Subarus was risky business. Last week, Leslie’s car sputtered its last on a busy freeway. Fortunately, her trusty Corgi, Steve, accompanied her so no panic. She learned the value of paying attention to the oil light much too late. Don’t drive like my sister.
My situation was less dramatic, but I knew my poor, battered Subaru would soon be ready for a complete internal makeover. Our mechanic had already sounded the warning note accompanied by a hefty estimate for all the work to keep the car in working order. I decided to act before I, too, was stuck on the side of a Twin Cities freeway.
The purchase process was far different than my worst car buying experience in the 1980s when I entered the Toyota dealership, and the salesman asked, “where’s your husband?” Then, I walked and drove to the Honda dealership...
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What am I doing climbing up Bear Mountain alone at 7:30 am? In Sedona, Arizona’s Red Rock country I usually hike into the canyons or up slight inclines and I can’t remember why I thought it was a good idea to scale a mountain. The first 30 minutes were easy—a gentle up and down across the open land punctuated with cactus and wildflowers. At the beginning of the climb, the trail was well-marked and, although steep, the dirt path was wide. Once I hit the mesa, the trail disappeared and I had to find my own way amidst the rock. Missteps meant rocks tumbled downwards. Fortunately, I remained upright, but the sound of small rocks cascading downwards sounded internal alarms. After a few dead ends, I found a way to continue up the mountain. At the second mesa, I thought I had reached the top. I looked up and... 
Little things (and I'm not writing about One Direction's song) strike me when I'm least expecting it. On my recent trip to Israel I journaled the "little things" and discovered that each little thing generated an entire world of memories.
Little thing #1—The Hoopoes Have Landed.March 8, 2016
Hoopoe birds (dukhifat in Hebrew) look like they walked into a haberdashery and left with the fanciest hat but forgot to check the mirror.Their long hooked beaks remind me of cigarette holders and their black and white wings are reminiscent of a zebra rug. Their birdsong is more like a rap. And they are the national bird of Israel.
Last time I stayed in Modi'in with my cousins, I frequently saw hoopoe birds on my morning walks.They seemed to hang out in the adjacent neighborhood along Emek haHula.My first morning in Israel, I purposefully set out for the grocery focused on my list, absorbed... 
