Steps to Nowhere or Stairway to Heaven?

On our hike a couple weeks ago, my friend and I passed this pair of trees to which someone had, long ago, nailed small blocks of wood, forming steps up the tree. At this point the wooden blocks are well-weathered and even beginning to come apart. I also imagine that...

Ring the Bells

Ring the bells that still can ring Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything That’s how the light gets in. – Leonard Cohen, Anthem This week I added a number of bells to our Advent/Christmas tree—and found myself thinking, over and over...

An Advent Tree

Happy Liturgical New Year! Sometime last year Henry and I purchased a rather unusual Christmas tree. We found it in a store in the small town of Palomas, Mexico, just across the border from Columbus, New Mexico. Standing as tall as we are and formed of curving metal...