On her 70th birthday Lois began a year of exploration through poetry of the ordinary, of nature, of relationships, and the uncovering and sorting of her personal story, a story that has many connections to everyone’s story. These incredibly simple, grounded, sincere word pictures of everyday events and images were shared originally with a small circle of friends, the same friends who later encouraged her to create this book, a book she has illustrated with over 70 pen and ink drawings. The poems are presented by month in the order they were written in small journals she carried with her everywhere - to the beach, to windswept bluffs and rocks overlooking the ocean, or sitting in her backyard, even parked along the side of the road, at her kitchen table in the middle of the night, or with a cat asleep on her lap. “These poems and reflections are a much needed reminder that life is also about ‘slowing down and just being’, rather than always ‘doing’. Lois Benson writes about her current experience and weaves it into personal history with clarity, simplicity, and often humor. Entering her world through word.