One of my few accomplishments during the quarantining last year (besides an epic four part poem about dust, and five poems about national park grief) involved creating a Halloween costume, buying all the parts, fitting it into a perfect storage container, and even labelling it. Then I put it in my closet, the quarantine never … Continue reading Perfection’s Rough Draft
Encouragement
Christmas Cheer
I promised to tell you about a Campfire Tales tradition. A few years ago, on a river cruise down the Danube during December, I discovered the joy of gluhwein at the Christkindlmarkt. (Translations: mulled wine; Christmas Market.) Once home, I sought out a recipe (this one, I think it was) and now I make it … Continue reading Christmas Cheer
A Dream and a Prayer
For those of you who celebrate this holiday, I offer this: Merry Christmas! And for everyone, no matter your beliefs, I offer this:
The Goes Wrong Holiday
The job I was hoping would be a career stepping stone went (to put it nicely) belly up about a month ago. Splat! To mentally get through the end of this year, I doubled down on my Thanksgiving plans, filled with travel and friends and food and fun. ...Can you guess what happened next? Yup. … Continue reading The Goes Wrong Holiday
The Day After…
More? More!
20 + 20 = ??
"The wilderness, by design, disorients. As any wilderness trekker past or present will tell you, the wilderness has a way of forcing the point, of bringing to the surface whatever fears, questions, and struggles hide within. Nothing strips you down to your essential humanity and inherent dependency quite like submitting to the elements, surrendering to … Continue reading 20 + 20 = ??
Yosemite Waits for You
Thank you for visiting your national park, Particularly in times when things look stark. Fires, pandemics, presidents, droughts; all will fade. Do you know what won't? The memories we've made. Imagine a campfire. Picture yourself there. Feel the heat. Smell the smoke. Watch the embers flare. Let go of thoughts that detain you. Consume grief. … Continue reading Yosemite Waits for You
Ignore the Headlines
Signing in to write this post, I passed by the gloomy headline, "Disaster Inside a Disaster." Ugh. OK. We get it. Give us the news, please, not your negative editorial. Here are three pairs of opposite perspectives, meant to remind us all that we can't control what happens to us, we can only control our … Continue reading Ignore the Headlines
Hang in There, Northern California
Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land. ~ Proverbs 25:25, NIV Please know, the cold water reaching you will be good news in this distant land. Also, thoughts and prayers are with you!
Rusty’s Treasure
Sittin' on this bucket And panning in the stream, My mind is on the work, Leaving my heart to dream. ~ Camp Host Chad For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. ~ Matthew 6:21
