I harvested mint today, and lavender. The oregano and thyme are still growing, thick as hair. Even strands of chives are green in the pot. It’s January 4. The herbs on my deck are now 10 months old. I thought it was great to harvest herbs in November. Didn’t imagine it would go into the depths of winter. But … read more Still growing
Tag: death
Parallel universe
I just found out that my friend Patty’s husband died two weeks ago. Such a major event, and I didn’t even know. Patty has a smile that makes me run across the room to be near her. She was very sweet to me in my early days here in North Georgia, one of my first friends. She was … read more Parallel universe
Re-gifted
Sometimes people get gifts they don’t want, so they just give them to someone else. Christmas is a great excuse for this practice of “re-gifting.” That happened to me today. I woke to a rainy, misty day on the mountain. I got up because my back was aching to move. I was very slow, still a … read more Re-gifted
The young chaplain
Since this is a teaching hospital, there are lots of people here learning to do their jobs. Today we had a visit from a chaplain who’s just an intern. He was in his mid-20s, with dark curly hair, a slim build and kind eyes. Tom and I were surprised to meet him, since you’d think … read more The young chaplain
I almost died last night
I was standing at the stove, cooking a couple of turkey burgers for dinner, when suddenly I felt a sharp headache, very dizzy, and my hand looked strange. Colored with bright speckles. I laid down on the floor so that I wouldn’t fall down – and that turned out to be the first of several … read more I almost died last night
Weeping, and other visions
“Those who do not weep, do not see.” – Victor Hugo, “Les Miserables” A friend offered this quote after my sorrowful post about my failures in fused glass. It reminds me of the passage from Khalil Gibran’s “The Prophet” engraved on my memory: “The more that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can … read more Weeping, and other visions
Why I hate Halloween
On October 31, 1976, I got the worst news of my 17-year-old life: My boyfriend, Jim, had died after a car wreck. He’d been driving drunk and ran a stop sign. He was my first lover, and sobbing in front of his casket I knew that God had punished me for my sins. A popular song at … read more Why I hate Halloween
There will be more
In Iraq yesterday, as part of our new mission to “train and advise” local soldiers fighting the Islamic State, the U.S. led a commando raid to rescue 70 hostages. The Army Times today reported the name of the American soldier killed in the raid: Master Sgt. Joshua L. Wheeler, 39, died Thursday in Iraq’s Kirkuk province from wounds … read more There will be more
Death by hanging
Jacky Sutton’s friends don’t believe that she committed suicide. Some of them hinted that it could have been a murder committed by ISIS. Jacky was a former BBC journalist who worked in media development for many years. She spent most of her time in very rough places, including Eritrea, Afghanistan and Iraq. She helped me out … read more Death by hanging
Day 95: Memory guts
When we lose a memory, where does it go? Inside the guts of a computer, the information is still there even if we can no longer activate it. That must be why I’ve kept this decade-old Vaio laptop in storage for almost five years. Couldn’t bear to just toss it in the trash. It holds … read more Day 95: Memory guts