I found a Magnolia bud on the sidewalk the other morning. Having been shaken loose by the wind the night before, it lay in perfect repose among the other fallen things; leaves, twigs, moss. Unlike these other things however, things ready to loosen their grasp on the tree, things who understand the lifecycle, know instinctively their place in it, this bud was wrapped tight, full of life and protecting the potential within. I took it inside. Stood it upright in a coffee cup filled with tepid water. Kept an eye on it though out the day. Remarked on its fragrance … Continue reading Magnolia Bud in a State of Repose/Decompose

Just a quick one tonight to show you my little friend. My pets have been obsessing over an area in the kitchen for about two days. Scratching at the floor, growling, circling, pacing. It had me a bit freaked out to be honest. I don’t mind a good old fashioned haunting but I had a feeling this had more to do with something roaming around underneath the house. This afternoon, we found whom I believe to be the culprit. The dogs were in the backyard barking and barking and barking some more at something they had chased behind a pile … Continue reading Playing Opossum

My son sent me a Mother’s Day card. Pretty pink envelope. Stamp in the right hand corner. He wrote very legibility my new street and town. The mailman chuckled when he handed it to me; even though it was coming from an adult man, it was addressed to simply “Mom.” “That you?” he asked. “That’s me” I replied. We both smiled. That’s how it is when you are a mom. You are just “Mom.” We tend to forget that our mothers have other names. That they existed before us, as people we never knew. We rarely ask about the dreams … Continue reading Wind In Her Hair

We spent the better part of the day outside. Over seven hours raking, mowing, edging, clipping and sweeping. I am completely exhausted, so much so that I didn’t even snap an “after” picture before darkness fell. There is something therapeutic about the rhythm and repetition of manual labor. The ability to tune out the world and focus only on the task at hand. There is something satisfying about being able to restore order to one small corner of a a world off the rails. Continue reading Nature Therapy

As I sit down to write this post I have no idea which direction it is going to go. Every night I set the mental timer and free write to you (and myself) for an hour. The thoughts and words tend to follow one another and fill in the story and the space on the screen in a somewhat orderly and coherent manner. These last few days my thoughts and emotions have been all over the board. They are tripping and stumbling and falling over one another. So bear with me as I word vomit through this and be patient … Continue reading Ahmaud Arbery Was Here

There is a lot going on right now. A lot of thoughts I am processing. Words I am struggling to find. My city is in turmoil, shattered by events and emotions too big for our hearts. We are angry. We are disappointed. We are ashamed. We are heart broken. We are grieving. We are trying to come together while being torn apart. We are Brunswick. I leave you tonight with this place holder. It holds space and reverence for thoughts not yet formed, emotions not yet processed. This flower, newly formed, ready to burst into bloom or flame was waiting … Continue reading Place Holder

When we decided to move from the “dry heat” of Arizona to the “no air in the air” humidity that is Georgia, one thing we were warned about over and over and over again were the bugs. Having lived in upstate New York, Oregon, and Colorado at various times in my life, and having spent summers in more populated areas of Georgia growing up, I was pretty sure I knew what I was getting into and pretty sure it would not be that bad. Those people? The ones who warned us about the bugs? They were not wrong. It is … Continue reading Bugging Out

Recently a friend of mine took a step. A big step. A big, bold, brave step. She asked for help. My friend had a personal challenge she was struggling with and asked a small group of us to support her as she started down this new path. Of course we agreed. She was relieved, this friend of mine. She thanked us and apologized for any burden she might be laying on us. It was not a burden, this thing she was asking, this step she was taking. It did not weigh heavy on us. It was liberating and exciting and … Continue reading Take a Step