Growing with gratitude for life's challenges
My granddaughter paints a row of red flowers with crosses in between. “Flanders Field” she tells me. She’s six. “Your great-great grandfather, my grandfather, was shot in Flanders Field.” She raises her eyes to meet mine. “Did he die?” “No, but he was injured.” He was crawling across the field when the bullet entered and […]
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“What do you pray for?” “Inner peace.” “And what are you willing to sacrifice in order to achieve this desire?” The question startles me. “What do you mean?” “To achieve the sacred, you must be emptied of that which obstructs its passage. What stands in the way of receiving your highest good?” I have to […]
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We’ve discovered a drive along the river where Great Blue Herons, Red Tail Hawks, and Bald Eagles come to hunt. It’s a dirt road with little or no traffic, except for the odd bird watcher like us. After a week of inclement weather, the sun peeked out yesterday morning, so I convinced Ric to take […]
Read More(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 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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I find myself drawn to clouds, trying to capture their essence. How, at times they rise, like sculptures of the gods… or how they dissipate, leaving wispy trails in their wake – not wanting to let go. I remember cloudless skies of Arizona – the perfection of blue crowning our days. It is that […]
Read MoreTo 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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Life is full of irony, or so it feels when that is foremost on one’s mind. Here are just some of the ways that irony has played a role this week: Concerned that the hotel we were staying at was pet-friendly (and I am deadly allergic to cats), we made distancing ourselves from animals the […]
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We are drawn to Manotick, a suburb of Ottawa, to visit with friends. Arriving early, we decide to check out Watson’s Mill along the Rideau river. Unfortunately, as it is off-season, the mill is not open this day, however there is still plenty to explore. Next to the mill is a Veteran’s Memorial Garden with […]
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Jazz, from Steps and Pauses sent me this sign, taken in Uncertain, Texas, a place she says is worthy of a visit: I would think they have a rather large following. I spotted this sign, and well…I think the ironies speak for themselves: The black squirrel (featured) thought he had cleverly outrun his assailant – a raging […]
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