When people show you who they truly are, believe them -

Maya Angalou

Silent Retreat

No, I have no plans to go on a silent retreat, though I have done short ones in the past and wouldn't mind doing so again for a longer period of time. But this morning I was at my usual watering hole, House of Java, gathering strength for the day and continuing my reading of Paul Mariani's Thirty Days on Retreat with the Exercises of St. Ignatius. I continue to draw enormous food for thought from this book but it is also showing me that I need to make a brave decision in my life.

I carry postcards with me all the time and use them as bookmarks. The postcard in this photo is the advertising card for the university's annual Senior Show. As I was reading Thirty Days this morning, I was deeply moved by these words that Mariani found within himself as he followed this spiritual journey - "What a poor creature I would be if I had to depend only on myself." A voice inside me echoed these thoughts and I knew I had to keep these words close at hand. There is something that I have been avoiding doing for a few weeks now and I will need to keep these words in my heart as I move closer to doing something that will require of me a lot of personal bravery and strength of purpose.

Fun in a Box

I walked into M-22, our big rehearsal room today and found a box fort. This could only mean

one thing. The students were hard at work on our new library system and the shipping boxes were empty. This meant play time. Is this a cool box fort of what? Of course, I had to get into the act. From left to right that's Nick, moi, Carmen, Kathy, and Adam. Kiani is on the other side of the camera. She's looking all FIERCE in the second picture. You GO K.

Outside of Me

Sweet-faced man, chocolate and soft.
Surrounded by possessions secure in your cart.
What happened to you?
What is your story?
How do you smile through the sadness,
the loss?
Jacket warm.
Hands and face clean.
Heat of the day approaching.


What was that shyness I saw?
What was that embarrassment
as I handed you a cup of coffee
in the moment you were freshening up,
preparing for your day of seeking help?

Elegy for a Tree

Once upon a time nine years ago, I wandered into the backyard nursery of a lady with a spectacular green thumb. Her garden/nursery was filled with all sorts of amazing cuttings that grew freely and wildly. In the midst of this jungle of generation, a lone Curly Willow grew quietly in a 5-gallon pot. I had never seen such a pretty tree and soon she had a home with me.
She stayed in her pot for the first year and then I decided to free her into the yard. I picked a spot next to our fence with the assurance that shade would soon cover our patio. And so it did.

For eight seasons, my beautiful tree provided shade, shed its leaves, and filtered the rain in the spring. Birds found shelter there and nesting material was picked with abandon.

Curly willow example -not my yard.


But sadly, two years after putting in a brick patio, my pretty willow had another growth spurt pushing her to 40+ feet. Outward she stretched her roots, untimately lifting my bricks and tearing apart my Celtic cross design we had so carefully created. I knew my tree's days were numbered. And so it was that today I came home for lunch and found this.






I didn't know it would hurt so much.

Timeless Beauties

Click here for a mesmerizing viewing experience. Thank you Corey.

New Computer

BEFORE

AFTER

After SIX years, I have a new computer at work. Can you say HAPPY???? It's a Dell Optima something, something, something with a 20 inch flat screen monitor. It comes with Microsoft Office 2007 which is a terrific upgrade. But the really cool thing is that it has a built in photocard reader. So now I can take pictures, insert my photocard and voila - a picture. Using that cool little piece of technology, I present to you my before and my after. Heaven!!!