Today is Sunday.  I usually go to church, but today we did not.  My back kept me home.  The idea of hopping in the car in the cold, getting to early service on time, then up and down, sitting, standing and kneeling, wasn't a happy thought.  Staying in has been good.    Sitting by the fire with a heating pad and cups of tea, I reread a poem that, although written nearly forty years ago, is timeless.  Well, good poetry is, isn't it.  "Thanks," by W. W. Merwin (1927-2019) is amazingly prescient of today, a day in which the Ukranians, the Israelis and Palest ..read more

It's never too late to let something go, is it?  As we shop online and in stores and ponder all the complexities of the holidays, I'm thinking we'll have more lightness in our hearts if we let go of a few things.  Some of what we might need to jettison is crucial to our well-being, some is serious, some useless, some self-defeating, some just inconvenient, but each taking a commitment to let go.  Here's my quick list of what I'd like to leave behind.  I bet our lists aren't that much different: Fearing what the future holds Spending excessive time looking at my p ..read more

 Have mercy on us Lord, And hear our solemn prayer. We come to hear your living word; It saves us from despair.  These are the words of the hymn we sang this Sunday.  As we sang, I hoped that God's Word would save us from despair.  There is much to despair of these days.   For so long we've been thinking of the Ukranians.  We have no trouble sorting good from evil in that war.  Now we have something more complex.  People switch from anger to grief and back again.  There are no simple answers, maybe no realistic answers at all. As we a ..read more

Here is a question I came across:   Is the past an asset or a liability for you? This definitely got me thinking.  Why?  Because our past never leaves us.  It informs our present more than anything else.  How we were raised, whether we felt loved, what experiences we survived, of what we are proud and of what ashamed.  A long list.  Our past lasts all the way up to this morning.    And another reason:  we are part of the past of others.  Is our contribution to their life an asset or liability?  Ive never exactly thought of it th ..read more

An Everyday Wonder  Just a Few Everyday Sayings, Ideas and Thoughts Taking care of yourself doesn't mean me first, it means me too. There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day.  They're absolutely free.  Don't miss so many of them.  A quiet nook and a book--good for the mind, body, heart and spirit. Fire warms us, feeds us, illuminates us and bewitches us.  Fire doesn't just set the mood.  Fire is the mood.  Let your children see you slow down, because when they grow up, they'll know how to slow down too.  A tiny red-capped mushroom spe ..read more

  Crafting at night Look, here are some writing prompts I found.  I think they're great.  See what you think. "Glimmers are the opposite of triggers; they're small moments that never fail to spark joy in our hearts.  What are your glimmers?" ( bella GRACE  Field Guide)   This one is special to me because I do have triggers.  Maybe we all do, or most of us, of different strengths.   A brief one came my way yesterday when a place that holds bad memories was mentioned.  I crossed my fingers--my own little trigger-mana ..read more

Taking care of yourself doesn't mean "me first," it means "me too." Zina Harrington (b.1983) "There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day.  They're absolutely free.  Don't miss so many of them."  Zina Harrington  "She silently stepped out of the race she never wanted to be in, found her own lane, and proceeded to win."  Pam Lambert "Few people know how to take a walk.  The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much."  Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) “The ordinary arts we practice eve ..read more

Hendry's Beach, Santa Barbara, CA It's actually time to start being cozy.  We can't do this every day, but when we can, here's how: Stop whatever you're doing in time to check the sunset.  The trees (or buildings) might obscure its descent, but nothing can stop those colors--reds, oranges, purples, blues--from flooding the sky.  Stare as long as you can. Then, just a few minutes later, feel the cool air, check for the outlines of a moon and decide to stay in for the night. Begin the evening with hot cider or any favorite drink and add favorite music. Light a super ..read more

  Lilac Field, Cliffside Santa Barbara CA I've been thinking about the words we Christians use.  Other religions use them too.  Praise is one.  It is in hymns, liturgies, everywhere.  Perhaps my mind is on praise because of the wonders of the season.  I love the transition from overheated summer to clear-headed fall, from browning leaves of late August to autumn leaves of red and gold, from stifling air to a blowsy breeze.  Fall brings no negatives, not mosquitoes, not humidity, nothing I can think of today as I work by an open door with pansies, mum ..read more

What's your favorite way to greet autumn? When a bit of chill in the morning or evening means pulling on a sweatshirt, when the air is lighter, crisper, and the sun sets earlier.  When one deep delicious breath lets you know that summer is past.   I see if the nursery has mums yet; that's my first autumn treat to myself.  Mums and pansies and some left-over snap dragons to fill in where the summer annuals and creeping Jenny are withering.  Some of the new mums will winter over and bloom twice, some will last for seasons and some never look as good as the day I ..read more