Author Archives: lisameltzerpenn

Piano Lessons, Jonathan Livingston Seagull, and Biking

When I was eight years old, I set up a little card table on the front lawn to sell my drawings to the neighbors. I wanted to raise money to buy myself a piano. My grandmother played jaunty old-fashioned tunes on her piano, and I was fascinated with how her fingers flew over the keys. I was sure I could learn to do the same. It seemed to be about speed. As long as my fingers moved fast enough across the keys, I decided, the songs would come out.

Autumn Equinox

We recently passed through Autumn Equinox 2023 and plunged into my favorite season, which I took as an opportunity to embark on a new writing project. During a weeklong trip to Boulder, CO, I broke form, leaving my computer, keyboard, and mouse at home in favor of writing longhand beneath the branches of an old oak.

DO THE HARD THING: An Exploration in 4 Parts

How do you do the hard thing? And how do you know when you’ve got it right?

Some years ago I found myself on a ropes course with a partner. High in the air, the object was to use teamwork to maneuver ourselves across twin tightropes to the opposite platform. We wore harnesses, and a safety net stretched below, so technically we couldn’t fall to our deaths. My partner turned to me for guidance. “Let’s just see how far we can get,” I said.

Summer Solstice Again

Every year around this time, as if it were my first time around the sun, I am amazed that the days get longer, the mornings earlier and the nights later. Same for the reverse every December as we approach the shortest days. At least in this part of the world. The truth is, I get very focused on transitions, and summer solstice is a big one. We’ve been working our way up to this, and today the lens of the day is open as wide as it will get for another year, like a camera lens. Or for the ultimate in transitions, like a cervix at 10 centimeters, ready to birth a baby.

The City as Spectacle

“What strange phenomena we find in a great city, all we need to do is stroll about with our eyes open.”

In early April I found myself at a mid-level hotel in mid-town Manhattan. My husband, Jon, was busy helping his mom with some projects and my son, Aaron, had virtual meetings with his college advisor and some studying to do on his spring break. The reason for our visit was to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday. But the party wasn’t until Saturday night. I had eight days stretching before me.

I’m no wide-eyed tourist. I lived in New York for seven years before moving to San Francisco. I know how to hold my bag close to my body, stride confidently through the ever-changing zigzag of crosswalks with their walk and don’t walk signs and construction tunnels, and not gawk at tall buildings or store windows. I had no plans to see Broadway musicals or visit 30 Rock.

But with an inner clock still set to California time and many of the sights within walking distance, I became a hybrid visitor: in the city but not of it…

Bike Clubbing, or Tales of a ‘B’ to ‘C’ Rider

In October 2020 when the local bike shop said it would cost more to repair my 25 year old mountain bike than it was worth, my husband Jon convinced me to trade it in for a sleek red Trek Domane road bike. Growing up, my dad had a bike store and I always rode aContinue reading “Bike Clubbing, or Tales of a ‘B’ to ‘C’ Rider”

Happy Spring! Or, Writing and Riding into 2021! Or, Lisa’s 30-day Yoga Challenge in only 54 Days!

As the ball dropped on the despicable 2020, and 2021 hoisted itself up to its new, exalted place, I resolved to say YES to new opportunities that presented themselves. So, I leaned in and signed up for multiple classes, communities, and new ventures that spanned the first quarter of the year. Did I kind ofContinue reading “Happy Spring! Or, Writing and Riding into 2021! Or, Lisa’s 30-day Yoga Challenge in only 54 Days!”

Dog Blog #3: Invitation to a Cat

Ruby’s first guest blog of the new year. With a little help from Lisa. They call me Ruby. Ruby the dog. They yell, “Ruby, Ruby!” And I come. Sometimes I come. Sometimes I stay where I am because I don’t feel like it. Sometimes I go outside and hide behind the bush. I don’t knowContinue reading “Dog Blog #3: Invitation to a Cat”