Store or Grow
In the spring of 2010, Keith and I walked the mountain land with our contractor, marking the driveway and house site with an eye towards preserving the venerable oaks of the forest. Our minds envisioned a beautiful completed scene and pondered future projects: a...
People, Places and Things
Scene 1: Several weeks ago Person: Sherry, Medical Technician Place: Northridge Medical Park Thing: CheckupS: “Hi, Carole. My name is Sherry, and I’ll be doing your mammogram today.” C: “Oh, thank you so much, Sherry. This is my first time at this facility, but I...
Be Prepared
Scouts’ motto: Be Prepared. This weekend, snow crept slowly over the mountain ridges filling the valley below, cocooning us in a soft, white lullaby. At risk of being lulled by nature’s beauty, I thought about Lady Wisdom and asked myself, “Am I prepared?” Yes,...
Lead or be led
There’s an old saying among dog trainers: Lead or be led. When Keith and I adopted a shelter dog a few years ago, I questioned my ability to lead Heathcliff, who weighs almost as much as I do. Even with some good basic training, thanks to the shelter’s Charm School...
Principles and Procedures
In a recent issue of The New Yorker, Adam Gopnik published an article about the large prison population in the United States as evidence of the American justice system’s failure. “How did we get here?” Gopnik asked. Referring to The Collapse of American Criminal...
Arranging Books
Books rotate in and out of our house on a regular basis. Keith and I order and either read or set books aside for later. We shelve keepers and place others in the donate box. Sometimes, when in-flow exceeds out-flow, we run out of space. Then we sort again and take...