Notes from Vanaprastha:
Reflections on Faith, Nature, and Writing
Adopting and caring for a shelter dog
In the fall of 2008, Keith and I walked into the Alexandria Shelter and fell in love with the biggest dog in the shelter. Correction, I fell in love with My First Dog, a 75-pound, sweet-tempered, all tongue and tail, 8-month-old black lab mix....
Why I watch dog rescue videos with caution
“Aw, Keith, come look. Dog rescue videos like this are so cute! See the mama with her puppies?” Keith wandered over to my desk and looked over my shoulder at the video playing on my laptop. I was taking a break from writing; apparently he was, too. Unlike in this...
Finding love later in life – a bonus post
Keith and Carole, December 2003 Finding love in our fifties June is a month of anniversaries for Keith and me. For instance, June 1st is the anniversary of my mother’s birthday and my ex-husband’s death. But today’s bonus post is about wedding anniversaries. The...
A Memorial Day Tribute to Big Ed Kenny
Last year, I wrote about the Memorial Day tribute at Trinity Lutheran Church, our congregation’s original home church in Crimora. Five years ago, I wrote about my father’s service in WWII, and a little about my father-in-law, Colonel Edward W. Kenny. A fighter...
How to Sort in the Third Stage of Life
The basement in my dream was large, windowless, and poorly lit. I wore a white cable-knit sweater from my teen years. The sweater became increasingly dirty as I sorted through years of detritus. Psychoanalyst Carl Jung posited that dream houses represent the...
A Heartfelt Message to Melinda French Gates
This is a heartfelt message to my former student Melinda French Gates. Praying for Marriages Last week, visiting family members asked me to pray for their dear neighbors, who are having marital problems. They have two young children. “Certainly,” I said. “Keith and...
Meet Carole
