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 …
There is a certain delicious irony in the devout Catholic former Senator who proposed an amendment (bearing his name) to the 2001 Education Funding Bill calling for the teaching of intelligent design in schools and questioning the scientific basis of evolution, suggesting that the Pope, who holds a degree in chemistry, should “leave science to …
As a clergywoman – even one who no longer ministers in a parish – my life is interwoven with symbols and symbolism…with those things that literally ‘bind together’ (sym-bolen, to throw together.) Vestments are symbols; paraments are symbols; chalices and patens and crosses are symbols. The language of rites and sacraments is metaphor (which is …
As my traveling companion and I pass the summer solstice in these light bright northern lands, I thought I would share some more photos from our travels…a pastiche of images and memories to celebrate this turning point of the year. Longest Day was my mother’s favorite day of the year and comes right on top …
I believe I have mentioned more than once that shortly after we return from sabbatical – while we are still in a “journeying lightly” emotional space – we will be engaging in the process Marie Kondo outlines in her book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. With this firmly in mind, I have still …
On narrow, one-track English, Irish, Scottish, and Orcadian roads, there are passing places: small semi-circular areas cut into the hedge or berm, where one vehicle can pull to the side to allow an on-coming vehicle to pass. There is a gesture of thanks that goes with this — the on-coming driver uncurls the fingers of …
On Monday, we left the mainland of Scotland in our wake [always remembering, of course, that Scotland is not really a ‘mainland’, but part of an island] and turned our face toward Orkney, following the light north. We sailed through deep swells – and sunshine! Who would have guessed we would go north into warm(er) …
On 22 May, my husband and I said good-bye to our temporary home in Tramore and drove to Dublin, where we spent the night before taking the hovercraft to Wales the following day. We dropped our bags at the B and B and walked into the city center because May 22 also happened to be …