Photo of a strangely beautiful abandoned country farmhouse, Norwood, Virginia. Taken Nov. 2017. I attended a couple of powerful lectures this week at Duke University. Wednesday night I saw Natasha Trethewey, our former US Poet Laureate. Last night I saw Richard Rodriguez, memoirist and essayist. They touched on similar themes and both have me thinking … More Strange Beauty: Wounds, Loss, Exile, Survival
Great Egret, Ardea alba, Summer 2017 Lake Pine, Apex NC “Through these woods I have walked thousands of times. For many years I felt more at home here than anywhere else, including our own house. Stepping out into the world, into the grass, onto the path, was always a kind of relief. I was not escaping … More The Arena of Delight: Meeting the Great Egret
A few months ago I had the honor of hearing Krista Tippett speak in person. I wasn’t disappointed as she is every bit as wise and eloquent on stage as she is over the airwaves. I’ve been a fan and faithful listener of her shows Speaking of Faith and On Being for many … More Becoming Wise: An Evening with Krista Tippett
If this swan can dance like no one’s watching, you can, too! Rise up, shake it off, and let your joy create ripples for all of the world to feel! Yeah, get out there and make the world a better place for all beings. It’s up to each one of us to be the … More Happy Friday!
Originally posted on Giving Voice to My Astonishment:
“To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don’t need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself.” This quote by Thich Nhat Hanh is one of my favorites. It always reminds me of the fairy tale, “The Ugly Duckling.” The duckling claims his…
I only went out for a walk, and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in.~John Muir Winter Trees at Dusk, 2017. I am at home in the woods. I have a strong affinity for the natural world that also includes great respect and awe. I do … More A Woman in the Woods: Coming Face to Face With the Creation
To celebrate Virginia Woolf’s birthday today, I thought I would write about something she and I both have a strong affinity for–the natural world. In 2014, I wrote my Master’s thesis on The Bloomsbury Group and their connection with nature, more specifically the important role that nature played in their art and literature. I visited England … More A Sound Like a Vast Breath (Happy Birthday Virginia Woolf!)
“Through these woods I have walked thousands of times. For many years I felt more at home here than anywhere else, including our own house. Stepping out into the world, into the grass, onto the path, was always a kind of relief. I was not escaping anything. I was returning to the arena of delight. … More These Woods
“Barn’s burnt down — now I can see the moon.”–Masahide It’s an (almost) Wordless Wednesday. I’ll be spending the day with poetry, my pen, paper, and the transformative power of words. And as always, Virginia Woolf. “But there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”–VW “Thinking … More The Transformative Power of Words
it is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in this broken world. ~Mary Oliver~ Photo taken by me at Fearrington Village, Pittsboro NC, October 2016.
Giving Voice to My Astonishment 
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