Social Distancing and the Power of Presence
Coronavirus continues to swamp headlines and conversations until it seems there is nothing else going on in the world (and certainly not on social media!). While that is not true, the changes we are struggling to make in the face of a pandemic have become the lens...
Terror All Around
It’s difficult to avoid the fearmongering about the coronavirus these days. Both traditional and social media are saturated with reports, warnings, guidance, and commentary. Over the past week, I’ve had conversations and come across a number of articles about how to...
Castles, Crags, and Strongholds
As a child, I loved the world of medieval Europe. I read countless books, fiction and nonfiction, about that era. I reveled in romantic stories about brooding castles, valiant men, and talented, beautiful women. My family toured England when I was in my teens and we...
Returning to the Lenten Discipline of Writing Poetry
Four years ago, I chose a Lenten discipline of writing poetry. I’ve written poetry off and on throughout my life—I wrote my first poem in fourth grade and one of my poems graced our high school graduation invitation. I’ve shared some poems on this blog before, and on...
One Pump, Two Trees, and Eleven Tons of Gravel
Does this sound like an interesting recipe? These three elements describe the bare bones of a more-than-two-month winter backyard project which came to completion this weekend. It began as the relatively simple desire to replace two trees which had to be removed and...
Cracked Hearts
Valentine’s Day is this week. I have pondered this day in another post a couple of years ago. This year, I want to reflect on hearts, collections, and what they can reveal to us. Back in December, I went on a hike with a friend and her friend. Her friend collects...
What Winter Gives: Memorial Edition
Ten days ago, I flew to Denver to accompany a dear friend through part of the grieving process following the death of her husband. The memorial service was on Saturday, but I arrived early to support her in various ways. I and another friend helped her work through...
Contemplating the Difference between Rest and Stillness
As I noted two weeks ago, I’m pondering the theme of rest in this winter season. It’s ironic because winter here in the Sonoran Desert isn’t about stillness. It actually means an increase in activity on a number of levels. Tucson’s population swells in winter because...
Pondering What Winter Gives, Even in the Desert
Two weeks ago, a friend and writer colleague, Kelsea Habecker, began a winter writing/posting project on Instagram with the hashtag #whatwintergives. Living in the Sonoran Desert, I find that winter gives some rain and relatively cooler temperatures (sometimes even...
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