Hydrangeas in September

September 22, 2023 One of our greatest gifts is the ability to be surprised by wonder . . . and to pay attention to it. Hydrangeas in September You don’t expect itnot in September when the leavesare beginning their turningand hummingbirds prepareto migrate south.You don’t expect itwhile red squirrels scurryto bury nutsin your summer pottedContinueContinue reading “Hydrangeas in September”

Brothers of Joseph

O Joseph, favored son of the radiant colored coat,see how all your brothers gather againin these strained and foreign days.Watch them tear at your garment, again,shredding it apart in their frenzied envy,destroying what they do not want othersto possess. They turn their backson ancient Jacob in his grief, their handssplattered with blameless blood.Joseph, your brothersContinueContinue reading “Brothers of Joseph”

When You Choose War: Again

February 24, 2023 Last year, the day after Putin invaded Ukraine, I wrote the poem, When You Choose War, below.  Since that day, according to 1440 Daily Digest, a nonbiased digital news source, “Western intelligence suggests military casualties—those either dead or wounded—are nearing 200,000 for Russia and have reached 100,000 for Ukraine. International groups have confirmedContinueContinue reading “When You Choose War: Again”

A Blessing for Candles

February 2, 2023 While most of us in the States may be disappointed because our favorite groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow today, which tradition says means six more weeks of winter, we might be consoled by remembering that, in the Roman Catholic Church, today is also Candlemas, the feast day of the Presentation ofContinueContinue reading “A Blessing for Candles”

Sacred Cycles

Nov. 17, 2021 I have been extremely fortunate this fall to see so much colorful foliage.  Here in the southern states, the leaves typically dry up, turn brown, and tumble away, but this year, perhaps due to all the summer rain, they transformed themselves into muted reds and vibrant yellows.  In New Hampshire, the autumnContinueContinue reading “Sacred Cycles”

Creative Community

Nov. 10, 2021 During the fall of 2020, in the midst of the ever-threatening Covid-19 pandemic, I enrolled in an online course with an emphasis on creativity and spirituality, based on Christine Valters Paintner’s book, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom (https://abbeyofthearts.com/). This course tugged at my heart because after yearsContinueContinue reading “Creative Community”

Attic Wisdom

If you’ve ever expected a child, then you know something about the “nesting” period when suddenly you realize, instinctively, that the time is NOW to finish getting the nursery in order, counting the diapers, tidying up the house, and putting extra meals in the freezer because something waiting to be born is coming.  Lately, I’veContinueContinue reading “Attic Wisdom”

Interrupted by the Cat

Surely the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it. Genesis 28:16 Interruptions can be the bane of life.  How many times have you been engrossed in a task or been working against the clock only to have someone call, text, or show up, needing your attention now?  How did you respond?ContinueContinue reading “Interrupted by the Cat”