The Church Flirt
The church is freezing, though it isn’t particularly cold outside. Suddenly even attending Mass seems an exceptionally pious act. The tourists walking through blow steam from their lips. They clasp … Continue reading
Mess Things Up.
After all, there is nothing but failure. If at least we have the will to fail we make progress. If we give up each time before we have started we … Continue reading
My First Trip to Europe Anxiety. Part II.
Bus and tram trip from the airport through Prague. An old Army barracks being renovated into a mall, a KFC. Lots of graffiti, signs–I see them and the words mean … Continue reading
My First Trip To Europe Anxiety. Part I.
Glory. I’ve uncovered a notebook from my first trip to Europe six years ago. I was absolutely terrified! Reading this reminds me how new I have become in the last … Continue reading
Ancestors
Because I, only I, see her smile a fraction before it reaches her face…Because her … Continue reading
Nana, did you have any idea?
Not a day of strangers, I spent the afternoon with my niece Addyson (yes, that Addyson). My mother’s birthday gift was a surprise on her return from Oregon. We cleaned … Continue reading
Thank You For Searching, You Nice Strangers
One of my favorite things is to see the search terms that bring people to the blog. I wanted to share my ten favorites. Many made me laugh, but still, … Continue reading
Concerto for Cello and Springs
An infant boy in red-footed-pajamas races down the moving sidewalk. His curly locks bounce as he bounds. Bystanders cringe as he nears the end, his father breaking into a sprint … Continue reading
A Hailstorm, An Opportunity.
Visiting Oregon last week, we stopped through to visit the farm where my Grandparents lived and worked most of their lives. My grandparents have both passed on, but they are … Continue reading
Iceland. Or The Moon.
How foolish we were to be afraid of loneliness. -Graham Greene. The Heart of the Matter.
Lead Thyself
I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness. Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. –Mother Teresa of … Continue reading
To Slow Down, Change Locations
He wanted to slow life up and he quite rightly felt that by traveling he would make time move with less rapidity. You have this noticed yourself, I expect, on … Continue reading
The Task Bandit
The little old man wears a beige outdoor jacket, adorned with many pockets, loops, toggles. He counts his aspirins in a small plastic bag, takes off his shoes, pulls on … Continue reading
Sit. Create. Become.
Someone once asked Somerset Maugham if he wrote on a schedule or only when struck by inspiration. “I write only when inspiration strikes,” he replied. “Fortunately it strikes every morning … Continue reading
Carry On
Several members of the Hajduk Split soccer team coalesced outside the airplane. Since the players were spry, many were the first out. They wore matching tracksuits. A few punched at … Continue reading
To Health
In a café on the Dalmatian coast, a middle-aged waitress leans on the bar and takes coffee and unceasing cigarettes for breakfast. The music on the radio is lively so … Continue reading
The Nice Thing About Strangers 