Writings

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I Don’t Know How to Eat This Apple

I tend to be someone who notices and contemplates ironies in situations. For a long time we have known how social media sometimes isolates people from real life relationships and contact. But now that we need to isolate ourselves physically, social media may be one of the greatest tools to help our communities and nation and world survive things like this on all different levels. The ease by which information is shared and we can check on others is amazing....

More Sobering Thoughts Should Our Liquor Stores Run Dry

I know I just wrote some thoughts today about our food supply – and then, I picked one of my Spotify playlists to put on and try to get some artwork done. For some reason I selected my “Melancholy” playlist created several years ago and one of my favorite Harry Chapin songs came on, “A Better Place To Be” and…well…here I am writing again. It is easy to poeticize the isolated alcoholic in songs such as Harry Chapin’s “A Better Place To...

Relief From That Which Presses Us

Last night I was chatting with a friend asking for prayer – someone I go way way back with to the earliest days of my young faith in college.  She shared a verse that came to mind to pray for me:  Exodus 14:14     “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”I was pretty sure this came from the part in Exodus before the crossing of the Red Sea, which she confirmed.  I must confess I don’t always methodically read Scripture...

Growing Old With Oneself

Back in 2007 I remember driving back to Newark through the Lancaster-ish areas, down Route 896 from I can’t recall where exactly….I was coming back on an early Saturday evening from a long caricature gig for a company picnic somewhere out in Amish country.  As I was driving home I noticed a huge garden with rows of beautiful sunflowers and I turned around to park and take photos for painting references.As I approached the flowers – which were somewhat near...

When Your Friends Go Through Deep Loss and Tragedy

When our friends go through any type of deep loss or tragedy, whether a divorce, death, or any other type of situation or difficulty, it is our nature to want their pain to simply stop. It is our nature to even feel uncomfortable with whatever they need in the moment, whether to retell yet another time some part of their story and what they’ve been through, or whatever it is they need in the moment. Divorce is a death. And...

Reflections on the Finalization of My Second Divorce

I came home earlier today from a funeral at church for a dear lady. About the time I walked in the door I learned that my former husband had received final divorce decree via email today and had expressed his feelings on Facebook, in part perhaps to share a song with me, as part of his expression indicated. So I feel I want to express my sadness as well. Most know that my former husband and I are very different...

The Chemistry of Hate

My husband is a PhD chemist; I am not. So no doubt, my explanation of this will be seriously flawed, if not uninformed of the exact terms and process. But, I don’t really care. I care about ideas, art, gardens, God, people and many other things. We can’t all care equally about everything. Sometimes there are just not enough brain cells.  Don’t misunderstand, not devaluing science…I am actually grateful that there are those who care about it and do amazing...

Living Dangerously

When do you pray for your own or a loved one’s physical safety? Bear with me…the real focus of this entry has a long lead-in. Do you pray for your safety each time you get behind the wheel of a car? I don’t.  But they say that driving a car is one of the most dangerous things you can do.Oh when we go on a long trip, like to Delaware, I pray for safety.   And occasionally at other times if...

That Ur Was a Real Shithole*… Right…?

On January 11, 2018, The President of the United States referred to Haiti and African nations as ‘shithole’ countries. _________________ (language and sarcasm warning) That Ur was a real shithole*…right…? And that pit-of-a-hole Joseph’s brothers put him in? That too. Really shitty place to be. Does my language and statements shock you? Good. That must mean that you are grieved and shocked over the way our President talks, right? So appalled that you cannot keep silent. Right? Now bear with me…there is not a...