by Carole Duff | Jan 8, 2018 | Faith, Writing and Reading |
Zero degrees Farenheit. The official temperature in the valley below our mountain house yesterday morning. Keith and I didn’t go to church but not because of the weather. We both have colds. When I’m stuffed up, snuffling, hacking, and blowing my nose, I feel pitiful....
by Carole Duff | Jan 1, 2018 | Faith, Family, Writing and Reading |
Last night, Keith and I raised our glasses and shouted, “Happy New Year!” then went to bed early as usual. Today, we eat, drink, and make merry with friends. But tomorrow, I’ll fast in preparation for a routine medical procedure. Have you noticed that many prayer...
by Carole Duff | Dec 25, 2017 | Faith, Local or Human Interest |
I peered into the dark intersection, trying to figure out which way to go. Before leaving the house, I’d printed out the Google maps directions to the pastor’s house, and Keith had programmed our car’s seven-year-old GPS. The GPS voice directed us a different way, the...
by Carole Duff | Dec 18, 2017 | Faith, Local or Human Interest |
I sat in our truck at the bottom of the mountain road, checking for an awaited phone call and sorting the mail I’d just picked up. One piece of mail in particular provoked a sigh. It had been long day; I was running late. There’d been traffic in Charlottesville on my...
by Carole Duff | Dec 11, 2017 | Dogs & Other Creatures, Local or Human Interest, Nature |
It began gently before sunrise on Saturday morning, a cold, steady flow of fine flakes—the season’s first snow. I let Freya out to do her business and bark at the deer foraging in the forest. At daylight, she came back looking like an Iditarod sled-race dog, her fur...
by Carole Duff | Dec 4, 2017 | Faith, Local or Human Interest, Nature |
Last month’s killing frosts had rendered our meadow plants dormant. It was time to mow before snow arrived. On Saturday morning, Keith fueled and started the gas-powered weed-whacker for me then held it while I donned ear and eye protections and adjusted the shoulder...