The place seemed so strange. Hard cushions, metal chairs, one square room, a Murphy bed and tiny kitchenette. Preparing for the week, I stocked up with familiar staples at the local market. These, I reasoned, would add familiarity to the unfamiliar environment into which I was venturing. After three days now, the unfamiliar environment has […]

Sirens raging, horns blowing and the sound of cars and trucks racing by welcome the second morning in South Florida. Just across the street lies the touted tranquil shore that has yet to be visited. The weather is stellar this day with a refreshing tropical breeze blowing from the eastern realm. Calm now from the […]

Temperature swings of more than forty degrees and evening temperatures hovering below 0 degrees Fahrenheit have been the norm here at the farm for the last few days. Extra wood to stoke the fire and extra hay for bedding down the animals has served its purpose well to stave off the negative effects of nature’s […]

A cramp seized the atrophied calf muscle as I turned to the other side. Wide awake then, my mind turned to prayers of thanks for the warmth of the bed, the freshness of the chilled bedroom air and the gift of another breath. Thoughts wandered to the cast iron stove and its remaining embers. Wide […]

Fog crowds the landscape as it obscures visibility in the distance. The chill, though well above freezing, cuts to the bone as it is propelled by the permeating dampness. Winter is only a few weeks old but is acting like a spoiled adolescent with its seemingly arbitrary mood swings. The wood stoked stove and the […]

The sun peeks gently through the leaf barren trees on its rise from the east. A layer of ice coating the pond offers up its etched reflection as light fills the sky. The storm has passed and the winds have calmed, but in its wake has been deposited the frigid arctic blast challenging the old […]

Some PD realizations came to me while I was struggling to get dressed this morning and my undershirt sleeve pushed way up above my elbow as I put on my pullover shirt. My caregiver (husband) was in the room and heard my grumbling … What’s wrong? As I struggled to get my inner sleeve to […]

Clouds of winter rush by ushering in threats of rain and colder weather. The chill outside embraced by the humid air seems to cut to the bone. Wood stacked and secure offers solace as it waits to be stoked in the old cast iron stove. In the early morning hours reflections of challenges past and […]

The New Year dawns on this new day and with it is brought fresh opportunities for discovery, achievement, failure and success (among other things). Each year is counted one day at a time. None of us on this side of eternity has the option of skipping a single day, hour, minute, or second that ticks […]

Crows caw loudly over the glistening frost laden fields as the last day of the year emerges. The pond reflects the bright glow of the morning sun like a mirror blanketed with a spotlight. Here the year is ending with a sunny but crisply chilly day. The sunshine reminds one of the bright spots during […]