I saw him crouched in the short grass. Exposed. His cover and camouflage blown by an ambitious someone with a lawnmower trying to make a few extra dollars. The groceries I had hunted and gathered went spilling onto the floor as I hit the brakes in an attempt to get a better look. A better look at the stone that suddenly seemed to have a feline face and lured me in even as I, in a burst of misplaced bravado, thought I was the one doing the discovering and the stalking. Imagined myself the predator, not realizing I was the … Continue reading Urban Serengeti

The King Tide is here. Causing trees to become islands remote and removed. Cut off from the mainland. Separated from civility; these pockets of trees, these high spots of land, become both wild and regal all at once. Reclaim their independence from man and relinquish control to butterflies who are all monarchs and birds who squabble amongst themselves to rule the kingdom if only for a few days until the tide recedes. ***King Tide (or Marsh Hen Tide) is an especially high tide that occurs throughout the year*** Continue reading King Tide

The doors of Saint Athanasius Episcopal Church (about a block from our house) have been closed since the pandemic hit. The flyer on the door continues to postpone the reopening date. Meal distribution has resumed one day a week out of the side entrance. (Bring your own bag; wear a mask.) Sunday service is held online. The grass outside continues to mysteriously be cut, the courtyard pruned, the front steps swept. The sun filters through the seemingly abandoned structure. Catches the stained glass. Lights up the windows. Acts as a beacon. Shows it is still alive. Still hopeful. Still awaiting … Continue reading Stained Glass Sunday

I have struggled for most of the day. Stymied by a simple decision. We are anchoring the bookcases to the wall and I have to commit to the final layout. There are two viable options for the shorter wall and I just can not seem to decide. I had one option in mind when we ordered the units but I now see that there is another variation I had not considered and it has me stuck and struggling. I go back and forth. Weigh the pros and the cons. Reach out to family and trusted friends. I receive mixed responses. … Continue reading Write It In Ink

I saw them this morning while out walking the dogs. The cast offs. The rejects. The imperfect plants. Placed at the curb by the church down the street to languish in the heat and await trash day. All because they failed to live up to some sort of “viability standard” and were deemed “unworthy” of a place in the well manicured garden they tend. I thought about them all morning. I went back for them this afternoon. I bought some potting soil and tomorrow I will dig out some pots. Set them up in a new space away from the … Continue reading Second Chance Plants

I am tired. Mentally, emotionally, spiritually. COVID. The Election. I am exhausted. There is a tiredness I feel deep in my bones. In my soul. In my very being. A heaviness I am having trouble shaking. I heard it echoed back to me today as I waited in my eye doctor’s lobby. I was back (again) because I am still having trouble seeing things up close. The big picture is clear but the details are fuzzy and out of focus (typical of my life.) There was an older man in the exam room whose voice did more than carry. Hard … Continue reading Soul Fatigue

Grey haired and grey muzzled, they were parked next to me when I came out of the Walgreens. They belonged, I am sure, to the woman in her forties, I had seen inside wearing a mask and navigating the aisles quickly. She did not pause (as I had) at the Halloween display near the door. She did not stop to admire the new fall shades of lipstick, or scan the tabloid headlines. She was on a mission and time was of the essence. They had both perked up, I imagine, at the sound of her keys. Begged a ride. An … Continue reading Good Boys

As we, (and by “we,” I mean my husband,) continue to assemble an endless row of bookcases, I thought I would share two small things we have done recently that were quick and relatively painless yet have made (I think) a difference. The first is the medallion in the soon to be master bedroom. Once installed, the chandelier looked lost and seemed to be floating on the empty ceiling. So we decided to anchor and ground it with a Victorian replica ceiling medallion. The one we chose came from Amazon and cost a fraction of those available from salvage yards. … Continue reading Two Small Things

”Deliver me from Swedish furniture. Deliver me from clever art. May I never be complete. May I never be content. May I never be perfect.” —Chuck Palahniuk; Fight Club. The above is one of my favorite literary quotes. A statement (as I interpret it) against the dangers of conformity; of contentment and settling. A reminder that we should eschew the trendy, surface, convenient trappings of “success” and instead of “arriving” we should always maintain a forward motion and momentum. A hunger. An urge to do more than skim the surface. That we should feed the need and desire to dive … Continue reading Swedish Furniture