"Listen, God has made you free in a tomb that is empty." (Robert Troutman, my dad, sermon from 1981). Excerpt from the sermon, "An Easter for all Seasons." "This freedom can be in any kind of society or structure. It can be in any country in the world. ...This freedom can come at any place, … Continue reading Your Easter Basket
“Get out you damn fool,” she shouted. To her caregivers, Eleanor’s words were too easy to ignore, just another refusal from a memory care resident not wanting to be changed at the prescribed time. Her fingernails dug into their skin. “Stop it you damn shit.” Without pause, they pulled my mom into the restroom, her … Continue reading Noooo! Mom Did Not Say That!
The snow is expected, but the sand is not. In the recent post — That was Unexpected! — I shared how snow along the edges of an agave, a sight recently but rarely seen in South Texas, reminded me of snow along the edges of sand seen on a recent trip to Colorado. This post … Continue reading Remarkably Unexpected
Awake, awake, enlarge through the littlest of all. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Lost Madrone Ranch Karen
Six glass doors fifteen feet from the dining table line the back wall of our home in San Antonio. Once the dark of night arrives, the uninterrupted glass panels reflect into the room like a black mirror. As we ate dinner, having returned from the grocery store only an hour before in a bitter cold … Continue reading That was Unexpected!
During the week that followed Thanksgiving I considered the condition of the ranch, and it was a contemplative exercise. Compared to most of the country, the foliage in South Texas changes color late in the calendar year, if it changes much at all. That the calendar sits open to December and the Texas red oaks … Continue reading As a Child
Let the wonder and beauty and bounty of the land be like a voice in your ear, singing a song of unity in our world — a song that celebrates coming together in harmony, creating a more splendid whole. May your Thanksgiving be a continuous celebration of gratitude. I am thankful for you. Karen
