Kind words, actions can mean a lot to those who get them

Samuel Taylor Coleridge was an English poet, literary critic and philosopher who, with his friend William Wordsworth, was the founder of the Romantic Movement in England and a member of the Lake Poets. Here is one of his quotes:

With Father's Day near, memories of Dad pour in

Dear Daddy,

Exploring the definition of 'stupidity' on 2 wheels

We've all heard the adages: "Never give up." "Keep trying until you succeed." "Practice makes perfect."

Baby quail become a true rescue mission

Last spring a quail laid 18 eggs in a plant on my enclosed patio. After they hatched, seeing those miniscule creatures scurrying around my patio brought tears to my eyes.

We remember these souls as family, not heroes

Editor's note: Columnist Alexis Powers teaches a writing workshop at the Oro Valley Library. One of the workshop participants, Gail Bornfield, wrote this essay.

Universe smiles on committed writers

One of my favorite quotes is, "At the moment of commitment the entire universe conspires to assist you," from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Oh, for the days of sky-high heels

The other day I went for a pedicure and manicure. My manicurist looked taller than usual as she walked toward me. I looked at her feet - she was wearing a pair of platform stiletto-heeled shoes.

Definitions of 'mother' and 'love' complicated

Pushing a cart through the grocery store recently, I spotted a large Mother's Day card display. Sadly, I realized this will be my first Mother's Day without my mom. Memories of past Mother's Days flooded my mind.

Desert Ashram offers serenity, lightness

If you're thinking of taking time off to reflect on life and yourself, you might consider visiting the Desert Ashram.

A focus on others, being positive can transform

A friend of mine has this saying posted on her refrigerator: "In every connection we are either positive or negative. The choice is yours."

Even snakes and scorpions delight this new desert dweller

Now that I've experienced snakes, scorpions and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, I consider myself an old-time resident of Tucson.

A few key words helped me defuse arguments

My odometer notched up another year in February. Now that I'm in my vintage years, I am calmer and don't feel the need to win every quarrel. What changed?

'Uncle Stanley' has been inspiring friend for many years

My forays into writing have led me to all sorts of characters - literary and otherwise. I met one of the most fascinating men I know at one of my book signings. His name is Stanley Gordon. From that day on I called him "Uncle Stanley" because his last name is the same as my protagonist, Leah…

Arizona weather offers adventure

It never occurred to me that I would ever utter the words "I can't wait until the weather gets warmer."

Live for day, but also trust the flights of fancy

A friend sent me an email with this message: "Heal the past, live the present, dream the future." This concept spoke to me.

A daughter's visit is a special time for Mom, and for a party

A few weeks ago, my younger daughter, Madi, phoned.

Love Windows 8; love computer tech more

My middle name should be "tech-challenged," so when my computer started giving me grief, flashing messages such as "You are obsolete," I panicked.

Hats off to those brave women who misbehaved

I recently read the quote "Well-behaved women seldom make history." My immediate reaction was to think of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, followed by the women who were arrested for their efforts in getting the vote for women. Hard to believe how badly they were treated. After su…

Not everyone in Tucson is ready for costuming

Last week I wrote about some unsightly mirrored closets in my guest room that I was trying to cover without going to the expense of replacing them.

Guest room fix-up, advice tests my creative side

The other night my friend Kevin called to tell me he's flying in for a visit. He has boundless energy and a brilliant sense of humor, and is one of my favorite people. When I heard that he was coming, I decided to redecorate the guest room.

Memory of guiding spirit lives on decades later

Since my mom passed away a few weeks ago, I've had time to think about how much she influenced me. Rarely did we have conversations that did not reflect our mother-daughter relationship. She was the problem solver, the one who would make things better. Or, on the other hand, the didactic par…

Alexis Powers: New Year's was a time to reflect on many good things

A note from the writer: Last week's column was a tribute to my mom who passed away unexpectedly. This is the column that was scheduled to appear.

Alexis Powers: Mom was loving guide, charting her own path

You know it's inevitable, but another part of you believes you'll never see that mournful day.

Alexis Powers: To tat or not to tat?

To prepare for my big Christmas celebration, I drove to the hair salon to have the world's greatest hair stylist, Mandy, add some color and trim my hair.

Alexis Powers: This Christmas may be best yet

Two weeks ago I told myself, "Never shop on a Saturday afternoon, ever again!" So where did I find myself a few Saturdays later? Standing in an endless line to pay for a gift for yours truly.

Alexis Powers: Oftentimes, we pass by chance to offer gratitude

My sister's father-in-law passed away a few weeks ago. Bob Belle was a great guy. Even though we didn't see much of each other over the years, we shared a special connection, based on a mutual dry sense of humor.

Alexis Powers: More and more, my life is inside a computer

Hearing that Windows 8 arrived made me laugh because I'm still using Windows XP on my computer. The last computer I bought I paid extra to have XP installed. New technology drives me crazy.

Food, friends, festivities make for merry season

One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving. Each year I look forward to turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes and my favorite - mashed potatoes. In past Thanksgivings, I've indulged to the point of wanting to get into my pajamas to take a nap (difficult to do when you are not in your own home).

Be thankful for what you have, and don't let fear hold you back

Thanksgiving gives us the opportunity to reflect on life's gifts. This year my gratitude is focused on the writers' workshop I conduct at the Oro Valley Public Library every other Wednesday morning.

Alexis Powers: Nature's worst can bring out our best

Even though I live in Tucson, the land of dull but ideal weather, Hurricane Sandy affected my life. Many relatives and friends suffered greatly. I will never again complain about the heat or endless blue skies.

Alexis Powers: Christmas accessories light up the day

The other day my friend asked me if I wanted to go to lunch and then shop at Costco. Almost any time someone offers to take me somewhere, if it doesn't involve driving on a six-lane highway, I'll put on my Sunday best.

Alexis Powers: Clearing out household 'stuff' also clears mind, soul

Something wonderful happened a couple of weeks ago. A good friend told me her church was having a rummage sale and was willing to pick up stuff I no longer wanted. My heart beat wildly with joy!

Alexis Powers: Trick-or-treating down memory lane

The other day while buying dog food at Petco, what to my wondering eyes should appear but a plethora of Halloween costumes for dogs. Looking at the colorful array, I couldn't envision dressing Charlie or Toots in one of those adorable fashions to take them out to trick or treat.

Alexis Powers: Watching films more than once can be enlightening

When my granddaughter visited years ago, she watched "The Little Mermaid" over and over again. I couldn't understand why she enjoyed seeing the film so many times. Well, guess what? Now that I'm beyond middle age, I've acquired a similar habit: I love to watch movies that I've seen before.

Alexis Powers: Not all tasks require same approach

The dictionary definition of procrastination is "to put off doing something until a future time; to postpone or defer taking action."

Alexis Powers: Packing smart saves time, space, energy

When I hear someone say "I'd better pack for my trip," I ask when they are leaving.

Alexis Powers: TV is big part of our culture

Why didn't I know there was such a vast supply of robots to be had?

Alexis Powers: Plane travel wasn't always awful

A news article caught my eye that said a U.S. Airways plane bound for Dallas had been ordered back to Philadelphia International Airport due to a bomb threat. Scary! Happily, it was only a hoax, although that is bad enough.

Alexis Powers: Political attacks are out of control

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guarantees four freedoms: freedom of religion, speech, press and assembly.

Alexis Powers: So much has changed when it comes to dining

One of my dear friends recently bought new state-of-the art kitchen appliances. She is a great entertainer and I couldn't wait to be invited for a home-cooked meal. Sure enough, I got an invitation for homemade boeuf bourguignon, better known to me as beef stew.

Recreational activities abound today

Do you think cavemen participated in recreational activities? After a hard day of spearing and skinning, is it possible they took their children out to play "toss the rocks"? Maybe one of their forms of entertainment was to use clubs to maneuver small stones into holes they dug outside the cave.

Book club question sparks journey

A friend told me her book club recently read the novel "Replay" by Ken Grimwood. The book is about a guy who dies when he is in his 40s. Instead of going to the Promised Land, he wakes up in his dormitory at the age of 18, completely aware of what he did with his life before he succumbed to …

Writer waxes nostalgic for class, style of past

When I began to suspect I would never reach 5'5" in stature, fashion became my method of standing out in a crowd.

Power outage sparks serious thoughts

The chaos started late on a recent Sunday afternoon when the power went off. Exasperated because I still had not finished resetting all the clocks from the two-second power failure the day before, I started lighting candles.

Land of Enchantment enthralls city girl

Many moons ago when my now former husband and I started dating, he decided to expand my knowledge of the United States. Multitudes of New Yorkers like me think this country is comprised solely of New York, California, Florida and Texas. While looking at a map of the U.S., he pointed to Albuq…

Alexis Powers: This New Yawker finds English fascinating

The other day at a Chinese restaurant my fortune cookie said, "Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question." Mystified, I read it to my friend who didn't get it either. That led me to reflect on the confusion of the English language.

Alexis Powers' perplexing pets

One day while I was surfing TV channels, Cesar Millan, the "Dog Whisperer," appeared. The small white bichon he was working with must have been seriously deranged. Standing beside the owner while looking down at her adorable white dog, Millan was explaining ways to make the dog behave.

Driving's been bumpy road for her

If I were wealthy, I would have a chauffeur who also served as a hair dresser, dog walker and chef.

Seasons in Tucson are all their own

The four seasons of Tucson are a bit different from New York or most places I've lived. Here in the Southwest we experience a different climatic lifestyle. Here's how I see it.

As July 4 nears, thoughts turn to freedom

With the upcoming Fourth of July holiday around the corner, I thought that besides devouring a hot dog in the name of patriotism I would reflect on what this country means to me. One word came to mind: Freedom.