There’s a new hole in the ground that goes under the edge of one of our flower beds near the bird feeder. Our yard is pretty wild and, probably according to the neighbors, unkempt. Our dog has dug up a few spots, and the squirrels routinely create small excavations in the lawn where they either […]
Category Archives: family
I have seen a number of articles lately about converting our grassy lawns to insect-friendly gardens replete with flowering shrubs and exotic ground covers. I like the idea, but have struggled with how to implement it. I like having a lawn that opens up the lot and highlights the beds around the outside and facilitates […]
“In the circle of lifeIt’s the wheel of fortuneIt’s the leap of faithIt’s the band of hope‘Til we find our placeOn the path unwindingIn the circle, the circle of life” ~ Elton John, Circle of Life I caught our dog chewing on something in the back yard, and discovered the carcass of a dead rabbit. […]
Our dog Rosie goes outside sometimes and, staring off to the adjacent yard, begins to bark. I try to get her to stop, and look around to see what might have caused her to bark. I usually find nothing and can only assume that she heard or smelled something strange that I’m unable to pick […]
“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, Just like the ones we used to know …” ~ Irving Berlin As a kid, in Texas, I loved singing Christmas carols and could do a particularly superb job with White Christmas, Joy to The World, and the others that required throaty emphasis. (Frank, Bing and I all […]
“All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.” ~ The Platters Santa’s not the only one making a list and checking it twice. We dragged out the Christmas card and gift lists from last year (well, last several years), and cross-checked with our mostly-current address books. The Christmas card list was relatively […]
In preparation for Christmas, we dug out the previous years’ Christmas gift and Christmas card lists. I also went through the address book, noting any changes due to family situation, moves and death. The listings remind me of those who are gone and raise all kinds of memories from earlier days. It’s interesting to be […]
It’s the season of holidays — Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s — and it always feels too busy and, well, sometimes not so merry. The pressure’s on to entertain family and friends, and obtain appropriate and awesome costumes, holiday cards and gifts. Even though I’m retired, I am conscious of my routines being disrupted, and […]
“In a lifetime of living in this body, I have known no more powerful a homecoming than music — nothing roots us more firmly into the house of being, nothing levitates us more buoyantly to that transcendent place beyond marrow and mind.” ~ Maria Popova I remember being at our grandmother’s house, banished outside […]
Utopias have always been a part of our human delusion, a product of our constant desire to dream big and win. ~ Ruxandra Guidi I took a walk into our backyard, ostensibly checking the garden for ripe veggies, but really just to chill out in the early fall warmth. Seeing I was not doing […]
Writes of Nature 