Esther Jantzen

A birthday welcome by a host of hummingbirds. I’m a July baby. Astrologically, I’m a Cancer. And my beloved CN is a mistress of surprises, especially when it comes to planning birthdays. She told me to prepare for two nights away from home. No, don’t bring a suitcase. Put anything you want to bring in a backpack. Why? Never mind why. She turned and started packing food, prepping for beef with bordelaise sauce. On the first day of my two-day birthday celebration, we set off for Santa Fe....

I want to introduce you to a worthy, attractive, yet little-known-by-tourists Mexican city. In April 2026, CN and I took a seven-day jaunt to Xalapa (also spelled Jalapa,) in the eastern state of Veracruz. It has plenty of virtues and, IMHO, only one main vice. Here’s the scoop: A big part of Xalapa’s attraction is that it is in the Mexican mainland coastal mountains, receives much rain, and is surrounded by coffee-growing farms and Pueblos Mágicos. It is full of schools and universities and...

There were four of us at the end of the 2020, all in our 70s and 80s, who decided to do two things: 1) inform ourselves about climate issues, and 2) figure out ways to put our bodies, minds, lifestyles, and financial resources on the line in service to supporting climate solutions. We called our group the Elder Activist Readers (EAR). A few others joined us. And between January 2021 and now (end of 2022), we’ve read books which introduced us to new understanding and new priorities. Gradually...