An excerpt from Earth Psalms, available October 4: When I was a girl, my family traveled, camped, and explored God’s creation. I tried to do the same with my children. It’s in my DNA, so the idea of writing earth psalms as worship to the Lord sprang from my heart. Once I started, I couldn’t …
I read a recent editorial that got me thinking about how many choices we make in our lives, and how Americans are have more opportunities to do so that most places in the world. We are fierce about holding onto our right to make choices. We chose to become a republic rather than be unrepresented …
Sometimes I spot ironies in the newspaper and wonder if the stories are put close by design or accident. Here’s an example: Abortion clinic will be first to open. A district court judge ruled it unnecessary for an Austin, Texas abortion clinic to meet hospital surgical standards. Right below this short NewsWatch story, in the …
A writer is supposed to write, right? Well, sometimes I have to shut off my computer and walk away. I’m not admitting defeat. I’m leaving the forest so I can see the individual trees. I’m coming up for air. I wish it were easy to write. I wish I could get the story fully out …
Every time Mother’s Day rolls around, I think of Mom. Not that I don’t think of my mother many times during the year. We had fun together. She and Dad were the ones who taught me to love nature. While Dad fished with my brother, Mom and I would wander the streams and find wildflowers, …
I recently took a class in “flash fiction” taught by Ben Wolf of Splickety Publishing Group. I’d never heard of flash fiction or micro and nano fiction. Flash fiction is 1000 words or less, micro less than 300, and nano less than 100. Each of these fiction forms presents a story with all the necessary …
I’ve had many teachers over my lifetime, and continue to attend classes, even at my advancing age. When we give up learning new things, our minds will dry up or grow moldy. Miss Taylor was my fourth grade teacher. She taught her students to love California history (missions), square dancing (some of us, anyway) and …
After a four-year drought, it’s finally raining in Northern California. Creeks and rivers are flowing, reservoirs filling. Vibrant God-green grass is coming up everywhere, along with wildflowers in the open space behind our home. Yesterday, a flock of birds aerial-danced as though giving thanks and celebrating. We’ve been waiting a long time for a wet …
It’s been a long time since our chicks have flown the nest. Now, one of ours has seen her own chick fly away – to the USAF. Our grandson was ready to leave the nest, so he signed up and is now winging his way to boot camp in Texas. I thought my daughter would …
Like it or not, death is an event in every person’s life. We all face that inevitable day when our bodies can no longer go on. Some die far too early. Others wish it would come sooner. My dad was a coroner. He saw death every day during his time in office. My mother was …