Pleasures and Ponderings: From Nun to Nudist to Now offers friendship as you share the universal experiences of hurt and love, frustration and celebration, fear and success. When you're in a reflective space, read "Living with Loss and Longing," "What Am I Here For?" "What if I Don't Figure it Out?" and "When is Enough Enough?"

Maybe you're in a pleasure-oriented frame of mind. You'd enjoy "Eleven Guidelines for Pursuing Pleasure," "April Appetites," "Clothes on the Ground, Sun on my Skin," "I Couldn't Stand Still," and "Morning Glories, Pears and Old Comics." (I hope you support my encouraging people to take play and leisure as "seriously" as they take work.)

When you're wondering about relationships in your life, enjoy the company of "Relationship Changes-It's Not All or Nothing," "Ready to Commit?" and "The Search is Over-I Found Him." You can guess from that section, "Finding Mr. Right-Again and Again," that, like many of you, I've kept learning about what does or doesn't work. And you may know a man over 50 who might be my next partner. I am an eternal optimist, and know Mr. Right is out there, again.

As you consider family matters, you can relive "A Mother's Pride," "Childhood Hurts through an Adult's Eyes," and "Memories of my Teenagers." You may even identify with "I'm a Grandma-I Get to Play." (Don't you wish you had a grandma now too?)

Wonder along with me as I roll around in musings about support, inner peace, choices, living in the moment, juggling to do's, dealing with illness, storing memories, living with endings, and my constant curiosity. Try on different perspectives, as you ask "What About Right Now?" and "Expecting too Much of Myself? Too Little?"

Not yet content, in Digging Deeper, I take on "Priorities, Pleasures and Procrastinations." In what may be my most thought-provoking piece, I suggest "Change Your Questions, Change Your Life," and ask "Is Your Nose in the Guidebook or on the View?" I wonder aloud, "Does it Matter?"

Finally, in Communicating with Heart, I write about "Compassionate Communication-a Loving Way to Connect" and "What do You Need? How are you Meeting Your Needs?

If you would like to read eight entire essays from the book and others that I've written, go here.