This morning, I woke to the smell of the ocean and the gentle shhuuush of waves lapping against rocks. In the soft grey pre-dawn, I am enfolded in the fog and mist of the coast of Maine. We are spending a few days with my in-laws, drinking in the last bit of seashore for awhile. …
In advance of the Pope’s visit to the United States, several of the larger polling organizations have noted that his US approval ratings are dropping. In fact, among conservative Roman Catholics and political conservatives (two groups with a substantial overlap) the numbers are plummeting. Within minutes of being elected, it was clear that Francis was …
First: A very happy birthday to my brother…who is leaning forward into a new year today. I don’t know about you, but I tend to approach thresholds with many surreptitious glances over my shoulder…sometimes walking backwards into the doorframe in the process. Over my life, as I have prepared to transition from one role to …
…and time. When emergency medical technicians or paramedics respond to the scene of an accident, one of the first things they do with the accident victims is to ask them a series of questions to ascertain whether they are still in touch with reality. The term that is used is “oriented times three.” A person …
We are on the road again…this time from Edinburgh to London where, if all goes smoothly, we will meet friends for dinner tonight. If it doesn’t go smoothly, we will probably be sitting in traffic on the M5. Yesterday was devoted to rounding up all the things that some of you [I am not going …
As I am collecting our far-flung possessions to pack for the antepenultimate time (how often do you get a chance to use that word?) — for the trip from Edinburgh to London, I am trying to collect my thoughts, as well. As I indicated in a recent blog, I have not – so far, at …
In 1446, William, the last Sinclair Prince of Orkney, began building a church to be called the Collegiate Chapel of St Matthew on the lands given to him in Scotland by James I. The transepts and nave were never completed; when William died, his son put up a wall at the end of the choir …
In past years, when I was actually tending a sizable (physical) garden, I would spend weeks carefully selecting what I wanted to grow. I would place my orders and eagerly start my seed flats. I would get a jump on the season by turning over the soil, turning under the winter compost. Then I would …