by Carole Duff | Nov 4, 2024 | Faith, Nature |
This morning, we woke to unexpected overcast skies, muting the expected change of leaves. Red maples, pink oak-leaf hydrangeas, yellow sassafras leaves shaped like mittens and gloves. Sheer delight, but this year, an unexpected trial: it’s dry, bone dry. Unexpected...
by Carole Duff | Jul 15, 2024 | Faith, Writing and Reading |
As Marta spoke to the congregation at the end of the service yesterday morning, I marveled at her capacity to share her painful story. She’d run away from a terrible home situation at age 13 and was on her own for weeks before being taken to a police station. There...
by Carole Duff | May 6, 2024 | Faith, Nature |
For some reason, the “Fly Away Medley,” which our choir is rehearsing to sing this summer at our historic church location Trinity, is kicking my butt. The medley includes: “I’ll Fly Away,” “We’ll Understand It Better By and By,” “When the Roll is Called Up...
by Carole Duff | Apr 29, 2024 | Faith, Nature, Writing and Reading |
On Friday morning, as I stepped outside with Mac dog into the “almost” at Vanaprastha—almost another day—I heard two barred owls’ spectacular, loud, emphatic calls in the dark before dawn. Ok-ok-ok-ok ok-ok-buhooh, variations of the mnemonic “who cooks for you.” The...
by Carole Duff | Apr 22, 2024 | Dogs & Other Creatures, Faith |
Mac dog sits quietly on the steps, pressing his body against the kitchen door, lonely and afraid. Whenever he “asks” to go outside, he won’t go until Keith or I go with him. Even then, Mac waggles his head back and forth between his need to relieve himself and his...