He Who Talks To God

November 21, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

“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 […]

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

November 19, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

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 […]

Places People Live (CFFC)

November 1, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

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 […]

Ready for Hallowe’en

October 29, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Garden shadows paint a Halloween scene – yellow blooms soften the scare. For Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Contemplating the River

October 26, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

You can’t push the river, a teacher once told me. So true. I’ve had a lifetime of trying to outrun the river, and consequently, the shattered pieces of my efforts litter life’s banks. With illness, I have come to appreciate that it is not about flowing with the river, or keeping up, but being open. The […]

Things People Drive (CFFC)

October 25, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

I once married a man, whose obsession with cars was equal to worship. I think of our relationship – and all that was missing – when I see vehicles, who clearly take time and attention to keep on the road. That’s not to say I can’t appreciate a finely tuned antique vehicle, nor does it […]

Autumn Sweetness (FOTD)

October 23, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

How does nature choose her hues – the subtlety of pink with blushing cores – sweetness conveyed with such simplicity? (Cee’s Flower of the Day)

V.J.’s Weekly Challenge #20: River

October 22, 2018.Reading time 1 minute.

Everyday, in the aftershock of losing a seventeen year marriage, I sought out the river. I would say a prayer, then walk off the grief and strife, until I came to a bench, where I’d sit and contemplate the message of the flowing water. “Finding my inner peace”, is what my son called it. A […]

A Week of Distances

October 21, 2018.Reading time 2 minutes.

The distance between one Sunday and the next is always the same, time wise, and yet this week felt so much longer than most. Wednesday brought emotional upheaval, and subsequent exhaustion, and then Friday morning my 91-year-old mother was admitted to hospital, while Ric and I attended a funeral for an extended family member. Life […]

Photo A Week: Through Glass

October 21, 2018.Reading time less than 1 minute.

A window seat at the Mill Street Pub in Ottawa allots a new of the river, and the season’s finest. I think I found the place where angels store their wings. (For Nancy Merrill’s A Photo a Week Challenge: Through glass.)

Is This War?

“War is hell. You can’t photograph a flying bullet, but you can capture genuine fear.”– unknown The bomb has droppedcontrol slips from our grasp We pray for a parachutefor someone to pull the cord numbers escalate,lives plummet We offer encouragementisolated voices faltering moment of impact imminentthe implosion inevitable impact reverberatesresponsibility moot. ( Image my own.)

Promises

Imagine

If we could lift understandingto indigenous teachingsexpand our loveto earth, sky, and seaMake personal gain tabooand Ancients a weigh point If we could witness the mountainsslow floating across the skyand touch the dolphin’s soulanxiously swimmingwhere tuna are netted Would we cower at our insignificanceor move forward, learning to acceptthat all of life is deeply woveninto […]