She folds towels like the mom I watched as a child — aligning corners, sweeping her fingers across the terry, smoothing before flipping for a final fold, her accomplishment culminating in a smile of satisfaction. Before dementia, her folds had purpose, a mother caring for her family. Now she folds while not knowing why. A … Continue reading A Practice Run to the Finish Line
MERRY CHRISTMAS! MERRY CHRISTMAS! MERRY CHRISTMAS! MAY YOUR HOLIDAY BE FILLED WITH HAPPINESS. AND MAY YOUR NEW YEAR BE AMAZING. THANK YOU FOR SHARING IN MY LIFE. KAREN
My friend’s phone rang. When she answered, another friend asked, “Is Karen just devastated?” The bark looked the same. Skin of decades. Protecting. Rough and furrowed. Covering — like lined up and laid out potato chips, the wavy edges lifted as if exfoliating, peeling open trails that if followed could share stories from every season. … Continue reading A Tree is Nice
He is Risen. Known. Believed. Loved. HAPPY EASTER
It’s winter for a short time more and the ranch is wearing winter colors — cold blues, shades of gray, and gentle browns bitten by freeze. I love a winter day that points to spring while carrying along memories of fall. Today I am in my swing, a favorite spot to write, looking out … Continue reading Come Walk Through the Grass
The air was dreary and drizzly, family was visiting from out of town, and we sat inside talking, wishing for the weather to clear. Then, instinctively, because something out of order darted by, Jim jumped from the couch and bolted out the door while blurting he had seen a giant bird. Well, maybe not so … Continue reading Home Again
Happy Thanksgiving! Take a walk. Look closer. (Can you find the Thanksgiving guest in the photo below?) Set aside your troubles. Marvel at the little treasures in nature. Appreciate the days. Don't be afraid. Enjoy the beauty around you. Celebrate the harvest. Gasp at God's glorious creation. Let your light shine. Spend time with friends … Continue reading Happy Thanksgiving 2018!
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
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?