One year for Christmas, my husband got us tickets to the Pompeii exhibit at the AZ Science Center in Phoenix. It was….amazing. And humbling. And haunting. An entire civilization reduced to ash. Mothers, Fathers, Children, Lovers; Rich, Poor; destined to live out their final moments forever when confronted with Death, the great equalizer. Preserved for eternity, and given immortality, by the very thing that that had erased them from their own lives. As a person whose mind runs too fast, whose thoughts and feelings trip over themselves and each other, and end up a jumbled mess….I relish the quiet, the … Continue reading Cows of Pompeii

When my son was young, and attending Montessori school, there was a tradition they had for birthdays. All of the children would sit in a circle with a candle in the middle (representing the sun,) while the Birthday Child would walk a lap around the circle, one lap for every year he had been on Earth. It was a reminder to the child that we are all part of the lifecycle. That we are connected to one another and the Universe. I think of this as my husband takes a breath and holds it, carefully considering his wish. I am … Continue reading Another Trip Around the Sun…

I see the logging road out of the corner of my eye. A blur at speeds slightly above what is posted. I debate and decide within a verse of the song playing on the radio. Turn around and double back. Navigate ruts and potholes. Lose the radio and cell phone reception. Imagine huge trucks blindly turning the corner as I turn on my running lights and struggle to hold the shoulder. Second guess my decision. See the long forgotten cemetery in the clearing up ahead. Pull in and jump out. Race ahead and look back. See she is still standing … Continue reading Getaway Car

Christmas is my least favorite holiday. This makes me unpopular in many circles. I am not overly religious and the commercialization, coupled with unrealistic expectations and early advertising start time, really puts a damper on the whole season. It ends up being months and months and months and months of stress and number juggling; of second guessing and squabbling, of feeling inferior and apologetic for not being able to meet manufactured expectations. It is the only time of year when my husband and I truly dislike each other. It is the time of year when one of us (me) marches … Continue reading Bah Humbug!

There are insects preserved forever in amber. Mammoth bones rendered stock still by wire and mesh; held in suspension and reserve by the low light and hush of dusty, half forgotten museums. Photographs of unknown relatives, smiles frozen for eternity in black and white, at the back of an album no one pulls from the shelf and lazily leafs through anymore. Leaves that have fallen from long ago trees; their fleeting images caught in perfect symmetry by quick curing cement. The past below us, rising up to meet our hurried footfalls, going unnoticed as we only look up and never … Continue reading Stepping Stone

Sometimes the bridge that spans the gap between where you are and where you are meant to be is blurred by the distance between the two points. Sometimes, upon approach, the bridge appears to be on fire. Upon seeing the “flames,” one has two choices. Hit the brakes and remain forever rooted on safe and solid ground. Mired for eternity wondering, “What If?” Or….turn up the music, press down on the gas, close your eyes, say “goodbye” to the familiar, feel the heat of the flames, the burning of the bridge, the casting off of the old. Feel “solid” ground … Continue reading Burning Bridges

Yikes! The weather has gone from the high 70s to the 30s in the span of a day. The jolt of this sudden temperature turnabout left us stunned and scrambling this morning. Bare feet recoiling from cold wooden floors, we hurriedly sought out sweaters, long forgotten, from the backs and corners of closets. Dogs and cats claimed heat vents and curled up tight. Eyed us suspiciously when we suggested going outside. Seemed to blame us for sunspots that ran cold, wind that crept in from under doors and between window panes. We brought the coffee maker back to life. Filled … Continue reading Baby It’s Cold Outside (and inside too…)

While other trees, at this time of the year, hold tight to their needles, stand straight and tall, vie for attention, allow themselves to be culled from the forest, brought inside, dressed in twinkle lights and tinsel, domesticated; these trees, chose to drop their foliage, stand up bare boned to the upcoming winter, feel the howling wind pass unobstructed through their naked, outstretched limbs, howl right back and dance. Continue reading Whirling Dervish