Seasons should be savored, each for its unique qualities: the tender green of new life that leads to summer's sun-kissed abundance, harvesttime and then the holidays and cozy winter nights. Everyone has a personal favorite. Mine is fall. Even so, I don’t want to rush ahead and overlook what is special about the end of …
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The Hunt
The annual Easter egg hunt was a family tradition when I was young, as it was with most families. My dad would hide the multicolored plastic eggs here and there, often at my grandparents’ farm. Then off I would go, armed with my colorful woven Easter basket. I would poke through the flower beds, peer …
Surprise!
There are few things in life as delightful as a nice surprise: a forgotten $5 in a pocket, for example, or the sunglasses you thought were lost. I especially appreciate an unexpected blossom. Today, daffodils are nature's gift. I had no idea daffodils were planted in a remote corner of my yard. I suspect they …
Find a Field
It’s easy to feel as though the world is tearing apart. Each morning brings a fresh litany of distressing news. The legal principles that founded our nation and the civic order we have come to expect are increasingly unreliable. Even nature seems to have abandoned its rules. One little farm in my county was the …
Empty spaces
When someone dies, they leave a space. Sometimes, it is a small space, easily overlooked, that regrettably disappears without fanfare. Sometimes, it is an awkward emptiness. Those left behind gather around it, uncertain how to respond to the change. Family may talk about this void, collect mementos, and then busy themselves with other people and …
Hope Raining Down
He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. Psalm 147:8 Today, the sky finally opened up. Real rain at last. The flash and crackle of lightning and the boom of thunder preceded its arrival. It was a welcome sight after all the dry months. …
Joy and Sorrow
Grieve not the future nor the past but in the moment. That is where joy can be found along with peace and wonder and, yes, sorrow can be there, too.
Peace and a Pandemic: Lessons Learned in 2020
Was it really 5 years ago when the world stopped? We learned so much during our time of isolation. Unfortunately, I think we’ve already forgotten many of those lessons. We learned to make peace with peace. Empty streets and the emptying of public spaces made the whole world quieter. We learned to be ok with …
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Frog Songs
The endangered California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii) in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area The worst thing we used to say about winter was that it was dull. After brightly lit festivities, the warmth of friends and family together, January has always seemed bleak. Just cold and barren. February isn’t much better, although there is …
Rembrance in the Garden
I went outside to drink my coffee by the fireplace and the warming sun and light breeze summoned me to stay. Come find the first camellias hidden beneath leaves and fern fronds, it bade. Come to see if the hydrangeas are budding. Oh no! Something is infecting our berry vines. Make a note to head …
