Growing up, my family of six would take a summer vacation each year in our big, brown van. With sleeping bags, coolers, and pillows, we were crammed like a bunch of silvery fish in a can, traveling hundreds of miles just to get to the next KOA camp. Between braiding hair, singing Disney songs, and … Continue reading silence

Everyone loves a good story. Whether in the form of still pictures, words on a page, moving images, audible noise or paint on a canvas, stories are deeply desired. Action, mystery, romance, horror, comedy or grand adventure...it matters not, as long as the story captures the readers and turns them into participants in the story.I … Continue reading a narration of an incident or a series of events

So I bought some fresh, wild-caught fish. I had great intentions to season it, bake it, and eat it with a side of Caribbean-style fried rice, and steamed veggies. How tender and flavorful the fish would be, I imagined in my head as I unloaded my groceries. I counted down the days until the date marked with … Continue reading smelly fish

I look through the window and it's falling again. That blasted precipitation composed of small ice particles has found its home here. I feel like Mr. Tumnus as I sigh and mutter under my breath, "Always winter, never Christmas."You see, Christmas is that beauty a midst the bitter cold. Despite the broken, messed up reality … Continue reading the cold season

Do you ever feel empty? Driving on fumes, leaking out whatever is left inside you? You rush into your car to get on the road and a few miles into your drive, you look down at the gas gauge and see the big fat E. Pretty soon the orange light flashes on "low fuel".Do you … Continue reading fuel level gauge

There's a process each vinedresser undertakes during the winter months in order to prevent the vines from growing into a mass of tangled, overgrown, unproductive branches. This process is called pruning.And it hurts. I know because it's winter and the Vinedresser has been cutting off and removing superfluous, undesirable twigs, branches, and roots within me. It's … Continue reading pruning

I wonder if I ever really had a choice. It kind of fell in my lap, somewhat forced itself on me. It was something I didn't think much about until it was happening. The "it" is writing.And it all started with a book, well 2 actually: "When Bunny Grows Up" by Patsy Scarry and "The … Continue reading selfish writing

I planted a garden a few weeks ago. Well, actually, E used my bent hand shovel, and I my plastic ice scraper...in the middle of a thunderstorm, we put little seeds in the dirt, marking off the rows with twigs. Cucumbers, spinach, garlic, onions, carrots, beans, and peppers...planted exactly like Google suggested.And then it rained. … Continue reading weeds

I got to share the story of a folded napkin & Jesus' resurrection this morning! Here it is:Matthew 28:1-828 "After the Sabbath, as the light of the next day, the first day of the week, crept over Palestine, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the tomb to keep vigil. 2 Earlier there had been an earthquake. … Continue reading a folded napkin