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
I stood at the edge of the gorge and glimpsed spring. The grass was dead and matted but through the brown blades popped purple and white flowers — anemones. Single flowers atop a slender stem, Anemone, berlandieri, are among the early spring bloomers in the Hill Country. They are lovely, ranging in color from white … Continue reading Go Shake in the Sun… with Exhilaration
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?
"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
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
As one end of the seesaw was quickly rising off the ground, the other end was equally dropping, and for the moment, Ella and Jim — smiling and laughing — joined in a friendly, cautious, and calculating contest that tested their trust of each other. They recognized their equal power to send the other slamming … Continue reading Go Play!
"On the outskirts of Comfort, Texas, atop rolling limestone peaks of the Texas Hill Country, The Lost Madrone Ranch is the magical place where I walk — literally and figuratively. I visit the ranch to experience nature, seek respite, find inspiration, form ideas, renew my energy, work, create and enjoy life." With the above words, … Continue reading Where Do You Wonder?