- All
- Bereavement and End of Life
- Family and Friends
- Health
- My Land and Home
- Nature
- Psychology and Mythology
- Spirituality
Grandmother Moon
She glides across clear night skies, growing larger and brighter and fuller as I watch Her from my home on Earth. While humans drop bombs, destroy forests, and pollute Earth’s water, She
Kindness: The Ultimate Gift
An elderly man stood inside the door of the library. He took a wobbly step toward me, nodded, smiled, and said something in a raspy voice I couldn’t hear. He’d been tall once, but was stooped, rounded,
Anxiety Wants To Be My Friend
Anxiety wants to be my friend. I know because she crawls into bed with me every night. I awaken before dawn and she’s still there, clutching my belly and rattling my mind. It helps a little when
The Great Pumpkin Contest
In 1981, my husband Vic organized a “friendly” competition. The Ball Diamond Rd. team of close friends who lived a few miles away went vine to pumpkin against our team, the Picnic Area Road team. There were
October, the Turning Time
Autumn in the New York Finger Lakes is tinged with orange, red, and yellow. Monarchs, maple leaves, and Red Efts. Burning Bush, raspberries and tomatoes, and autumn Zinnias. Finger Lakes grapes and red wine. Pumpkins, winter squash,
Vulnerable in an Unbalanced World
I dislike flying, even though I’ve taken many flights to Europe, Asia, and around the United States. In the last ten years, distorted sound and imbalance from Meniere’s Disease with increasing hearing loss in the ear with
Monarchs Teach Me to Trust the Cycle of Life
I feel the gentle pinch of grasping butterfly feet on my fingers before she walks on to taste flowers and freedom. She pauses as she explores a goldenrod for the first time and sways in the wind
Monarch Survivors in a World of Climate Change
This year, I rarely see an adult Monarch butterfly in the fields or in my butterfly garden. There are some out there because they leave evidence– a few tiny Monarch eggs deposited under milkweed leaves. It I
A Love Gathering
As the sun moves toward the horizon, seven people sit around a table on my son Anthony’s stone patio—two women, four men, and one white haired crone. Two of the men are my sons, but I haven’t
Mourning Doves Became My Guardian Angels
As darkness descended, the last Mourning Dove baby peeked over the rain gutter edge. Its sibling had already left the nest. That morning, I saw a parent feed the nesting baby by regurgitating half-digested seeds into the
Elaine Mansfield
In my twenties, I married, nurtured my growing family, practiced yoga and meditation, and became a vegetarian and organic gardener. In my thirties, I became a nutrition and preventive health care counselor. In my forties, I studied natural approaches to menopause. In my fifties, I transformed my body with strength training and became a Certified Personal Trainer. In my early sixties, I lectured and wrote about strength training, bone health, nutrition, and healthy aging. Now, in my mid sixties, I am dealing with the death of my husband while writing about love, loss, and continuing bonds.
You’ll find old articles, guides, and stories in the sections on Bereavement, Exercise, and Nutrition. You can keep up with the latest stories and announcements on my blog.
Elaine Mansfield’s memoir Leaning into Love: A Spiritual Journey through Grief is now available from Larson Publications.