I was planning to write about the winter storm here in Texas, the surprise of being without electricity or heat from 2am Monday to 1am thereabouts Thursday. We didn't lose water, thank goodness, but plenty of my friends and students did. Some people are still without water. Aside from the love, dogs provide heat! We …
In the early days of the pandemic, when the city was shut down and the weather here was lovely, I'd find messages written on the sidewalks. I haven't been for a walk in quite some time. At the moment, it's 23 degrees in my corner of the world, and we are not used to it. …
I prefer to read fiction over non-fiction, and I prefer to watch documentaries over movies. That seems contradictory, doesn't it. Recently, my husband and I thought we were going to watch the hand-painted aniamted movie about Vincent van Gogh, but what we clicked on turned out to be a documentary on the making of the …
The Civil War brought us death on a massive scale, and I've read how people turned to seances. First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln held seances too. The Spiritualist movement was already in place by the time of the war, but certainly so much violent death spurred more people to try so-called spirit circles. (Aaron Mahnke's …
Continue reading There’s a Gaping Hole in the Livingroom Wall
I took this picture while out for a walk last March. This character sits in front of a house just a few blocks away. I like walking around our neighborhood and taking pictures of things people put in their yards (though I only take pictures that don't require pointing the camera directly at someone's home). …
When does the New Year stop being new? A few years back I witnessed a heated debate about when it was too late to wish someone a Happy New Year. I don't know, but I'd accept happy new year wishes in July if need be. In any case, here we are. I haven't started my …
Welcome to the New Year and all shining promises. Here in the northern hemisphere, its winter, of course, and while the days may be getting incrementally longer, there remains a lot of dark. It's a time for resolution and reflection, even if you try to ignore that sort of thing. It's a time to look …
(where I grew up ~ starlight added) It's the most contemplative time of year. (Well, not for everyone. Plenty of people may find other points in time more suited for contemplation. Some people seem to have no ability to contemplate much of anything least of all their place in the world and the hardships of …
"Just keep swimming," as the fish says. (You know what fish.) And here we are swimming from one year and into the next, and what a strange body of water it is. This week between Christmas and the New Year is a favorite week of mine. I teach, so I'm always off. But unlike other …
I have mixed feelings about self-help books. I recently read a scathing piece on the self-industry which characterized self-gurus as con artists convincing you that you are inadequate so that you'll buy more products promising easy fixes. Well, some doctors sell you snake oil and some doctors make you better. So while I may have …
