Mahalo!The first time I heard the phrase was while flying to Hawai’i years ago. Every announcement concluded with the word, but it took me a while to learn what it meant. Before the flight had landed I had deduced what was being said. We would say ‘thank you,’ but I’m pretty sure that in Hawai’ian … Continue reading Mahalo Moloka’i
I came in from my walk and saw the box on the kitchen counter. The mailbox had been empty, but that is not uncommon. When we have packages the mail carrier has to head up the driveway and deliver it directly to the house. I had gotten a notice that some medicines had been shipped, … Continue reading Big Box of Belonging
It's been just over a year since my mom passed away. I've written quite a bit about it on the blog in that time (Hester the Great, Non-Standard Mail, Plotting a Resting Place, & Fitting Memorials), and may still share stories about her in days to come. She certainly played a large part in making … Continue reading Hester’s Last Hike
95 years old. Double cancer survivor. Faithful Sunday School teacher. Long history of public service, both military and civic. Navy veteran and Annapolis graduate. Fell and blackened an eye, required stitches, and yet he showed up to work on building a house for someone trying to make a better life. Jimmy Carter is a man … Continue reading Carter’s Character
“Blank 21” That’s the name of this file as I begin to write. It doesn’t have a title yet. It’s just the number that comes up from the word processing program. My brain hasn't gotten that far. It may take a bit before any organizing principle presents itself and claims that line. But the fact … Continue reading Chipping Away at the Writer’s Block
“I know that voice!” There was instant recognition. He hadn’t seen me yet, and all I had done was to call out his name. That was all it took. The connection we had had years before was still tight. Good friends can reconnect in a heartbeat. I hadn’t told him I was coming to the … Continue reading Still in Tune
Mission has a way of giving you new perspectives. I’ve been blessed to go to Alaska the past few years with some wonderful people. We get the chance to pour energy and enthusiasm into some small villages where people manage to get by on less than what others have in this world. We develop relationships … Continue reading The Long and Short of It
If all goes well, then the sun will be shining. The temperatures will be cool and delightful. There will be a light and refreshing breeze. I will be on a small island in Alaska among friends that are very much like family. There will be several of us enjoying the afternoon. And I will be … Continue reading National Hammock Day!
“Just follow the yellow line—it will take you right to it.” This was a common thing to hear at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. People had asked so many times that the cemetery finally just painted a line on the road to take you to there. The place in question was the grave of … Continue reading Fitting Memorials
Rest in Peace. It’s a common expression. We see it in cemeteries; we say it in ceremonies. And at least part of what it means to us is to rest in place. We have an idea that our dearly departed need to have a place in which they find their repose. For generations, the resting … Continue reading Plotting a Resting Place
