“I think it may be dying.” That’s what my neighbor said last summer. This year there was no doubt. Pine needles fell in clumps, and those that clung to skeletal branches were orange, the color of the setting sun. So he called in the professionals. “Had to,” he said. It’s no wonder he did; the tree… Read more »
Vogue. Not the magazine, but vogue as in something popular, and in this case … hidden. Ancient, yet new. Once upon a time, a few hundred centuries ago, women who did not want or could not join a Roman Catholic religious order (think nun) had another option. They could become consecrated virgins. I’ll explain in… Read more »
I measure the passing of time by seasons; whether there’s snow in the forecast or flowers in the garden. My husband, on the other hand, judges time by the game: football, basketball, baseball … but he would be at a loss to explain Ulama, an ancient Mesoamerican ball game played by the Aztecs and Mayans…. Read more »
A shopping mall is my area has a Catholic bookstore, so I went inside to see what they had in their fiction section. I passed by a lot of plastic trinkets probably made by Chinese Buddhists, and the usual jewelry, rosaries, crosses, baptisms and confirmation gifts, etc. on my way to the books. There I… Read more »
Mardi Gras, a day of covetous activity before the temperance of Lent. But I do not have an overindulgent personality, nor am I a drinker of too much wine, so on this day of grabbing for the gusto, I felt pretty good about myself … until I opened my exploding closet. It seems I partake in gluttony of another sort…. Read more »
Yesterday afternoon I received a wonderful gift: in my courtyard came a robin … in February! Although it is still winter, the robin’s song gave me hope for longer days, warmer weather, budding trees, and the sweet smell of spring. As I listened to the lilt, I was reminded of another springtime when I traveled… Read more »
While visiting any Mission ruin, I have to inspect the walls. The bricks, commonly known as adobe, are made from mud and fibrous organic matter that, if left unprotected, tend to melt back into the earth. Any surface ornamentation of plaster and paint on the walls is usually the first to go. But where faded… Read more »
I bought a one-way ticket because I did not know how long I would be needed. A couple of weeks? Three? Could I leave and come back? My siblings who live closer and who had been caring for him needed a break to take care of their own families and business. And I wanted to… Read more »
In the shadow of Table Mountain to the east and the Rockie’s foothills to the west, the 2014 Women Writing the West conference took place in Golden, Colorado. The autumn sunshine brightened gold leafed cottonwoods that nibbled the edge of Clear Creek, and as much as I wanted to go outside and play, I had… Read more »
Traveling … for education, and mixing it all up with a little fun has rejuvenated my spirit, yet I must admit it took almost an entire month! My itinerary began during the waning days of August with a visit to Hatch, NM for the Chile Festival, an annual Labor Day weekend fun fest. While driving… Read more »
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