The title of this blog is “Coopersview” named after my first best cat friend, Cooper Charles. The title of “Coopersview” was to reflect not only Cooper’s curiosity with the world (and the furry roommates he lived with), yet also my own drive to see something beautiful in my own world which was and is often filled with limited beauty, challenges, limitations, insecurities, crushed hopes and feared dreams of “mattering somehow”.

Once upon a time, back in 2012 I found myself experiencing a particularly challenging set of circumstances, both at work and at my church that eerily reflected each other. As a long time single income household with no partner (except my two delightful furry adopted feline rescues) living from paycheck to paycheck, I was in a conundrum. Do I find another job? Do I find another church? The answer became obvious, and a new path forward eventually manifested at the end of 2012. However, before that I did what any normal creative person would do:

1: I stepped back from volunteering in my church. And NO, I did not share with my church friends what was truly troubling me because the one person I did trust about my concerns didn’t see what I saw, or at the very least support me unconditionally.

2: I started looking for a new job, and it was a NATIONAL job search. While I longed to be closer to my family on the west coast, I applied for and interviewed for positions in HR management across the entire country.

3: I tried to find a creative outlet. I had just learned DIY how to be a photographer (resulting in nearly frost-bitten hands during a particularly cold and rainy April day in downtown Chicago). Near frost-bite is NO JOKE but the lessons I learned in photography that day are considered priceless. Also, never go outside on a cold rainy day in the Spring in Chicago WITHOUT GLOVES. Seriously.

4: I did the unthinkable, at least according to some of my long-term church family members: I joined a Willow Creek Christmas Choir downtown. As you might imagine, I was called out for that decision by my then church-family worship leader because photos were published showing me as a member of that team. Being a member of the Willow Creek Christmas Choir team, at that time, a month before I relocated to NYC for the most amazing job, at a globally-acclaimed cultural arts institution re-affirmed the talent I have been gifted with, and that I still had value as an artist and a human being.

By the way, saying “I” so much is never a good thing for a writer. So please forgive me for using it so much. This post is being written because, as I’m searching through all of my photos over several decades for any pictures of my beloved sister-in-law aka “sister” aka “other mother” who was responsible for raising me as an adult to be a good human, and great HR Leader (who is now with Jesus as of April 4, 2025), I came upon this self-portrait.

To me, it completely depicts how I felt in 2012, how I felt through my entire childhood and upbringing, and even now. Some things never change, yet with mental health therapy, maybe I will learn to love myself at some point. My career path suggests that I’ve accomplished much and have had such amazing results, and I pray to God that I finally see who and what He sees.

However, this self portrait is what I see of me, then and now, at least in my head.

There are only few things that I like more than hanging out with a book on a beach.  One of those things is being on a boat, motoring across a lake or the ocean.  Since I don’t own a boat, and don’t know anyone (other than a cousin in Arizona) who owns a boat, I discovered over the past couple of years the next best thing: whale-watching.

There are several whale-watching touring companies up and down the pacific coast.  Thanks to Travelzoo.com, I’ve purchased several discounted vouchers with Blue Ocean Whale Watch based in Moss Landing, CA, located about an hour south of San Jose and just north of Monterey.

Motoring out of the harbor, with sea-spray lapping the bow you instantly know you are embarking on something unknown and therefore, something exciting.  Harbor seals sunning on the dock, cormorants perched on buoys and seagulls screeching overhead  act as spectators to your big adventure, priming you for that first sighting of a whale’s breath.   Children laugh when getting sprayed with cold seawater, while adults hunker down and embrace their plastic-covered cameras.  Everyone wants to get that ONE.GREAT.SHOT and no one is positive we will see anything at all other than lots and lots of blue water.

Someone shouts “2 o’clock!” and we are off, chasing the first whale sighting of the afternoon.  Suddenly time stretches out like a rubber band as we reach the first of the whales we’ll be chasing over the next 2 and a half hours.

The signal a whale is about to appear. Moss Landing, CA

I don’t have much of a camera, and for this trip I wanted to forget about getting that ONE.GREAT.SHOT and just be in the moment. For a time, that’s what I did.  As long as I could see the whale over the shoulders of the pseudo-professionals, I was zen; living in the moment.  But if you’ve been following this blog, you can guess that didn’t last.

Lunge Feeding, Moss Landing, CA

Whale Fluke, Moss Landing, CA

The best whale-sighting moment of my life is captured forever in my brain.  Almost none of us were prepared for a full whale breach DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF US on May 5, 2019.  I still remember the joy of that experience.  Whales are such majestic creatures.   Thankfully, there is a professional photographer on the tour, and photos are posted on BOWW’s smugmug site HERE.

It would not be proper for me to post BOWW photos here without giving full credit to the photographer (who I do not know). Take my word for it, and check out images 20-24 to see a full whale breach.

So I had a few hours dedicated to self-care. And I will be doing this again soon.  Even when it starts to get cold, I’ll still be heading out on the boat, so long as there’s a spot for me.

Happy Whale Watching!

Two Whales, Moss Landing, CA

We lost our sweet Pansy Maura in August of 2017 due to a seemingly sudden onslaught of intestinal cancer.  One day all seemed normal, 4 days later with a mango-sized belly and inability to use the litter box, she passed away in her sleep as peaceably as any creature could.  My heart will never be the same again.

At about the same time, my dream job, in my dream city of New York seemed to derail.  For whatever reason I seemed to have hit the proverbial “ceiling” with nowhere else to go.  Living at the ocean in Rockaway Beach no longer adequately made up for career-dissatisfaction; I suddenly wanted, or needed to be 3,000 miles closer to family, in a new job, in a new life, in a new place.  There’s nothing like starting over (AGAIN) to take your mind off things, and so….

I found a new job, 3,000 miles closer to family. New life, new place.  After a 6-day, incredibly draining, cross-country journey courtesy of Route 66 and a rather pissed off cat (Sebastian, new to bachelorhood) we arrived on (and I returned to) the West Coast, some 25 years later after the original, and first, great escape from life.

Things did not go as planned.  I walked into the biggest mess of a workplace I have ever experienced in my professional career, and it was up to me to be the “savior”. So I was told, and so I tried.

Many, many months later I’ve come out the other side, rather worse for wear, but at least now I can sleep somewhat easily again.    More importantly, Sebastian and I are no long singleton’s; despite the chaos, stress and even despair, we adopted someone new to the family.  She’s a pesky little sister to Sebastian, but to me, she’s a God-send.

Meet Le Petit Chat, Lady Molly Quinn.  She’s almost the spitting image of our beloved Cooper Charles, for whom this blog is named.  She, like Cooper, seems to take joy in the little pleasures of life:  watching the birds, attempting to catch a squirrel (though always thwarted by the screen door) and sitting on her mama’s lap for snuggling.

Today we celebrate the one-year, one week anniversary of Molly Quinn’s “Gotcha Day”.  Thank goodness we got her, and just in the nick of time.  Each day is a bit sweeter thanks to Molly’s beautiful face, inquisitive nature, and of course, the hi-jinks!  Love you Miss Molly!

I treated myself to another expedition last week, and we launched just after noon on Friday under heavy rain.  Since the cruises operate rain or shine I had no choice but to don my hoodie, grab an umbrella, flew the safety of home and slog my way from one end of the peninsula to the other to board just in the nick of time.  By the way, an umbrella is pretty much useless when you are on a fast moving boat in choppy waters.

Two hours in and the rain had not abated.  No whales were to be spotted.  Several passengers where lying prone along the many main cabin benches presumably asleep. I, on the other hand was force chugging my second ginger ale in as many hours as a result of the tumultuous waters roiling around Breezy Point.  Lesson learned: do not sit on the upper deck…EVER.

Suddenly, so it seemed, the rain let up, the clouds cleared, the sun began burning through my black hoodie and a voice cried “dolphins over there!”   Although the juicy hot smell of grilling hotdogs had only moments before made me freshly quesy, my tummy was forgotten as I quick stepped along the wet starboard side to catch my first real glimpse of dolphins in their natural setting.

60, 70, 80 and beyond of God’s gentle beasts were counted swimming and cavorting in several large pods.  The rest of the afternoon flew by as several camera shutters clicked endlessly.  Is it better to take photo after photo to peruse later, or simply stop to watch these grey and black beauties slow dance and dive in unison?  I think the later.  

Best Shot of the Day

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