The turn in weather started with a hint. I glanced across the yard toward the horizon, and the sky appeared glaucous — a lusterless bluish-gray — the perfect word to characterize the mood. Glaucous? Really? Why not use the word blue? The word Glaucous has both Latin and Greek roots. In Latin, glaucus means gray … Continue reading Design and Life — Rolled and Double Munched
Curse or coincidence, who is to say? Friends and family know that when I travel, have out-of-town guests, or plan a party, a weather event occurs — often an apocalyptic weather event. This is not an exaggeration. A volcano eruption, several tropical storms, too many unexpected downpours, and a 500-year flood are example interruptions to my … Continue reading A Flood of Tears, But Not for the Flood
Oh, little bird, why did you visit — to entertain, to prick, to haunt, to teach? To hear each spring the birds announce the return of familiar flowers, longer sunlit days, and a cast of budding greens, awakens my senses to pay attention. That a wren announces this intensity of life is no wonder. Compared … Continue reading Oh, Little Bird, Why Did You Visit?
The steers were agitated, squaring off and shoving each other while butting their heads and stamping in circles. The ruckus was an all out longhorn brawl. With our eyes wide and our mouths open, Jimmy and I perched on top of the dam — somehow believing twenty sloped feet between us and the fighting longhorns … Continue reading Meet Sweet Ferdinand: All 102″ TTT
"The afternoon knows what the morning never suspected." — Robert Frost Like an alarm bell, the sprouting sedums announce the passage of time. Could it be more than a year since the first post on Take Comfort? I had three reasons to start this blog: To share stories with my kids; to challenge myself … Continue reading Take Comfort: A Year Flew Softly By
"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!
Awake, awake, enlarge through the littlest of all. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from the Lost Madrone Ranch Karen
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