When the power goes out…

“Let there be light; and there was light!“ [Genesis 1:3] Regular visitors here will have discovered the absence of Friday’s post. That was just one of the by-products of a windstorm that caused a thirty-hour power outage affecting our area. Our daily habits require adequate light for reading, use of our computers, the Internet and television, garage doors

March Madness 3: Fragile Reflections

A couple weeks ago a granddaughter was here for the afternoon. One of her activities of choice was bubble blowing with Grampa. There are various soapy solutions and different shaped tools that all seem to work, although some produce better bubbles than others. This particular afternoon the bubbles were very fragile. After blowing them she

Remembering Sara

“At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” (Albert Schweitzer)  Two years ago today a very special light went out in our world. Sara Frankl, known around the blogosphere

Bits of joy on the journey

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.“ Mother Teresa

Are you motivated by the destination or the journey?

There were just two daffodils in our entire yard. I know better than to plant tulips because the deer consider them a gourmet salad mix. But I’ve planted dozens of deer-resistant daffs and narcissus through the years, carefully selecting varieties said to be good naturalizers. The first year several bloom; the next only a few;

Finding the bright spot

Daylight Saving Time wasn’t a problem for us. My hubby systematically turned all the clocks ahead during the previous evening and we went to bed an hour early without really noticing. Judging by the attendance at church on Sunday morning, however, not everyone fared as well. There were a number of empty seats, and I

I Didn’t Want to Know That!

Stumbling from the bedroom early this morning I clicked on the television. The first words uttered by the news anchorman were that Christmas is exactly two weeks away. I didn’t want to know that! Truly I didn’t. . Yes, there is a decorated tree in our family room and the outside lights are up. That

Boundless (Bouncing) Joy!

I say it frequently — “such boundless joy” — but that’s not totally accurate. What I should say is, “such bounding joy” or maybe, “such bouncing joy.” Our Labrador Retriever morphs into a gazelle the instant we ask if he’d like to go for a walk. “Go? Really? Oh, bliss! Oh, rapture! Oh, yesssss!” To