American Can-Do Spirit

Growing up in Colorado, Memorial Day weekend was a time for barbecuing chicken, enjoying potato salad, and eating homemade peach ice cream. It was also a time to visit the graveside of my grandmother and other relatives. As a kid, it was a fun weekend that included great food and lots of family activity. Memorial Day…

Small Awakenings…

Divided by long, prosaic interludes, life is a series of awakenings. I don’t know about you, but I have had several ”revelations” that have desperately influenced me–dividing my life into two parts: before and after. Sometimes awakenings have occured because of unexpected happenings; while at other times, the most mundane things have grabbed my attention and changed the course of…

haiku: self portrait

hard edges softened by loss, pain, grief, betrayal joy beyond this life   who has not envied a bird in flight, soaring up above life’s chaos   mid-life assessment fewer questions and even less answers to flaunt   people do not seek answers but understanding and heartfelt comfort   not Pollyanna but joy surely follows…

Cyprus–Land of Encouragement!

I have been awake since 2:30 AM. Now it’s nearly 4:30, and I am up and around as if it were mid-morning. This is our last full day in Cyprus… until next year. It will be a busy day of packing, cleaning, and saying good-bye to dear friends in the community. In a couple of…

A Confession…

This photo was taken at the English Teapot Cafe in Agios Georgious village in the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus. I love the way it turned out–not so much for its photographic composition or execution, rather for its meaning and memory.

Jiggling Bellies

My hubby and I love this man. He is one of our favorite people in the world to hang out with! We value our time with him, and we can never seem to get enough. Recently, we enjoyed a good laugh with him… Now I can’t remember for the life of me what tickled our…

The Privilege of Adoption

My daughter is in the front row with Ethiopian orphans. We leave in a week for a two-week medical trip to Ethiopia. I certainly have mixed feelings about this trip. In fact, every trip has been hard for me this year. I think a decade plus of mega international traveling has caught up with me. Even…

Why I Love Billy

  “But tonight, the lion of contentment has placed a warm heavy paw on my chest…”  This is why I love Billy Collins…  

haiku: scarlet leaf

A scarlet leaf stains my parched lips and quenches what is thirsty in me.

Solitude’s Sweet Cup

I wrote this poem in New England. We stayed a couple of nights in Kennebunkport. Our hotel was close to the beach. One morning I arose at dawn and walked to the ocean. After an hour of drinking in the seaside beauty and the solitude, I wrote this poem. Its memory is still vivid and its…