A poesy ring from the 15th century with this inscription — “a ma vie de coer entier [sic]”(for my life with my entire heart) — is in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, England. Others like it date to the 14th century. When I first saw one, I was captivated. Could there be any connection to the … Continue reading A Ma Vie de Coer Entier
How, When, Where, and Why?
For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord,plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.- Jeremiah 29:11 Walking in to church on a snowy Saturday evening, I am not supposed to be here. I am on the calendar for Sunday. In the morning, … Continue reading How, When, Where, and Why?
Poem: The Other Side
Today, I am in bedIn my very own roomIn my very own homeThat I have created I might get myself up,Make coffee, andCome back here to write,But not yet First, I want to imagineWhat happens whenMy heart says stop,And my breath lets go,And the travelerWithin me carries on Able to replayAny story in my lifeLike … Continue reading Poem: The Other Side
Guide My Heart, Ohio Part 12
“Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions,or even at their difficulty,as the love with which we do them.”– St Therese of Lisieux A few days ago, I asked myself a question: When does it feel like I am the most loving to myself? Answer: writing, reading, resting, and praying. … Continue reading Guide My Heart, Ohio Part 12
What Happens in Tahoe, Stays in Tahoe
Last weekend I went to Tahoe for a Belden family wedding. It takes me some time to realize I have not been in Northern California, on my own, since 1991, with the exception of three days after Mom died, in 2014. It takes me longer to note that I have let go or walked away … Continue reading What Happens in Tahoe, Stays in Tahoe
In Darkness and In Cold
Heavy winds rage throughout the night. Power goes out. It is early Monday morning. At the start, I do what I can to capture the sun’s warmth, and trust it is only a matter of time before power returns. Hours pass in anticipation. As soon as the sun begins to set, the apartment gets colder … Continue reading In Darkness and In Cold
Puck & VR
“What hempen home-spuns have we swaggering here,So near the cradle of the fairy queen?What, a play toward! I'll be an auditor;An actor too, perhaps, if I see cause.”- William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night’s Dream An auditor myself by day, this Sunday mid-morning, I drive to campus, to Woolworth Center, to try on VR glasses for … Continue reading Puck & VR
The Fire and Home, Take 2
It was about 4:30 PM on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 when a news alert flashed across my screen in Pennsylvania announcing fires threatening the town where we once lived, in southern California. Our first home. To know anything about me is to know how much home means to me. It is a quest, within and … Continue reading The Fire and Home, Take 2
Full of Grace, Ohio Part 11
“Grace is not part of consciousness;it is the amount of light in our souls, not knowledge nor reason.”- Pope Francis This morning I rise with the sun, put on a blue skirt, sweater and coat, hop on my bike and ride across the bridge for a holy day of obligation: the Feast of the Immaculate … Continue reading Full of Grace, Ohio Part 11
Poem: Escape to the Sea
Past dawn, winds rageRain threatens and sunPierces through clouds likeA divine cinematographerInviting the intrepidTo refresh our spiritsAs I walk I taste saltNearing where land endsAnd ocean beginsThe briny scent increasesI am guided by rainbowsI know, it is hardTo believe Refraction, reflectionRefraction againEver increasingIn magnitudeOne rainbow followsAnother from faintTo larger, to darkerI gasp in joy—it wasAlready … Continue reading Poem: Escape to the Sea
Where I End & She Begins 