A Healing Place

“Take her to Arizona,” doctors advised first my parents and then my husband, as if going to the desert was some magic remedy for all that ailed me.  Might as well have told me to go to the moon, the possibility of such a journey always just beyond our reach.  Until my husband found a way, deciding […]

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Deviating from the norm:

Typically, this is where I tie up the week’s challenge with an anecdote, then a link to all the participants.  However, this time I’ve decided to do something different.  Using the title of each post, and borrowing a line, I’ve created a collaborative poem.  Links to the originals are highlighted. Glass Casketsauthenticity oppressed Deviation becoming the […]

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He Who Talks To God

“What do you see?” The child stood before his mother, eyes wide and staring as if through her. His small body trembled.  It was just past midnight, and he’d risen from his bed in a panic, disoriented by the darkness. “God” he answered, breathlessly, the urgency in him rising. “What does he look like?” “I […]

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V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #24: Deviation

Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible. – Frank Zappa For several years running, I was invited to speak to the Sociology of Deviancy class at our local university.  Each visit, I opened by joking that I was never quite sure whether the invitation was a good thing or not.  Truthfully, though, I […]

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Places People Live (CFFC)

Some people prefer the solitude and live in island retreats – While others like things modern and enjoy big city beats – In Portland, there is Nob Hill, with houses built up high California has homes with ocean views, which must cost a pretty penny to buy… I like the look of adobe-style, would love to […]

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V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #17: Baseline

(Baseline Séance from Mariposaxprs) “Your results are right on the edge of normal,” the doctor told me after administering a mental competency test and adding up my score.  “Really can’t tell from this whether there is a problem or not.  Educated people tend to do better on these tests (masking cognitive impairment) and others not so […]

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Shadows Linger

Shadows shift, alter, but never fade.  They are contrast for light, a companion to our fears, the joy of a good mystery. This week, it had been my intention to photograph shadows, to have fun with what emerged, but life does not always follow our intended map.  Instead, another woman came forward to make allegations […]

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Photo a Week: Ready…

Set…Go! Ready, set, go: I miss summer already! Thank you to Nancy Merrill for this week’s photo challenge:  Ready, set, action.

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CB&WC: Trees

Much has been written in praise of a tree, the promise of roots, the elegance of branches I am awed by a tree’s durability – how it adapts no matter the conditions how it bears its scars with silent grace, remains steadfast in its presence – no matter where I’ve travelled, the tree is a […]

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V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #16: Shadows

To contemplate is to look at shadows. – Victor Hugo A child, when first encountering its shadow, might at first feel fear.  Later, she will experience fascination as she discovers that shadows stretch and play at her command. Carl Jung suggests that the shadow is representative of those parts of self that are suppressed and […]

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