Visit for a plethora of poems about the November 23 prompt: childhood memories on the move, south mother with  crushing sadness worse in winter loving the warm sand and gentle breezes palm bay me, two, sitting on the john somewhere south of the mason-dixon line feet dangling huge palmetto bug crawling across the floor towards ...

Visit  for a plethora of poems about the November 16 prompt: courage Competing in triathlons she is an inspirational speaker. Climbing mountains she plays guitar and sings beautifully. Living alone she laughs at herself stays positive, serene and connected. While describing the autumn sky to her somehow she knows that ...

 flickr photostream: Make My Day  sunk boat on a bay in Majorca ''All anxiety, all dissatisfaction, all the reasons for hoping that our experience could be different are rooted in our fear of death.  Fear of death is always in the background. ''As the Zen master Shunryu Suzuki Roshi said, ' Life is like getting into a ...

This photo journal of Faith (or Will Power) the dog made my heart smile and weep at the same time. Make sure to scroll down the page of the above link to see all the photos. NOTE: See comment on this post--this little dog's name is actually 'Faith'... Here's just one photo from this montage... Check the journal out--it's worth it. I ...

This post is for last week's writing prompt: One Single Impression: Spectacle   If I could see with the eyes of love Nothing could be a spectacle. Nothing could be outside the circle.   If I would see with the eyes of love All would be spectacular. All would be insanely lovely. All would be inside the circle of Joy. ...

As I live into the pilgrimage of Patti Digh's 37 days exercise on what we might be experiencing if indeed we had 'only' 37 days to live, I've found myself going through layers of experience.  I'm dreaming a lot, and not remembering any of them. I'm all over the place in my daily life--content, anxious, exasperated with myself, feeling sick in ...

In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists. --- attributed to either Al Rogers or Eric Hoffer [quoted from How to Save the World] This post is a SynchroBlog on The Politics of God hosted through the site Square No More.  See ...

Part 1: The call comes from 'Bougainvillea' (i.e. Katrina) asking me to come help her die. Katrina and I have been friends for over 20 years.  Note: In the late 1990's Katrina took on the nickname from a tropical plant I had carted to Colorado from Florida--a bougainvillea that I couldn't seem to kill--although I left it outside to freeze, ...

This is the next post in the series, ''Hi Honey, I'm Home'', as we work with the contest, ''Where's Home?'' It's been raining here in Central Oregon for a week.  Many of you may say, 'isn't that what it does in Oregon--rain?' and you would be correct...except that here in the high desert, east of the Cascade Range, it doesn't!  We get ...

It's May 15, the deadline for an answer from OHSU. I've been waiting for this day for.... ever. OHSU is the medical school I've been dreaming about since 2005 when I decided to strike out on this insane journey to become a doctor. In fact, when I decided I wanted to be a doctor, it was more like I decided I wanted to be an Oregon doctor, ...

This post is in response to Steve Pavlina's post: ''How to be a Man''.  He put out the challenge for someone to balance his strong post by writing about how to be a woman.  In the interest of not living in the shadow of being either an untouchable goddess, a long-suffering mother, or a bitchy, edgy vixen, I  offer the few points ...

  From a site called ''Serving Bread'' comes the 10 top reasons why men should NOT be ordained.  A little satire is good for the soul!  From the extended syllabus of Systematic Theology 3: 10.    A man’s place is in the army.9.     The pastoral duties of men who have children ...

  We had a lively and wonderful gathering for the March Central Oregon Fire Circle last night, March 21st. Great fire with the full moon rising over the back fence. Several new people, as well as regulars and us old-timers came out for the celebration of  the coming of the light or spring AND at the same time the holy darkness ...

I met Helen in my scouting around for quality blogs for the Engaged Spirituality Carnival.  I found more in Helen than I knew I was searching for...Helen lives in Illinois with her husband and two children. She hosts the blog Conversation at the Edge and is blog manager for Off The Map, an organization promoting’ ...

This post is the essence of a talk I gave February 24, 2008 at the Spiritual Awareness Community in Bend, Oregon. Raising Resistance to an Art Form ”Resistance is futile, you will be assimilated”-- the Borg in Star Trek, The Next Generation There’s not going to be anything said or done today that you don’t already know or understand. What you ...

When I was in Denver earlier this month I had dinner with a friend of 17 years, Rudite. We worked together at hospice while I was in seminary.  We don't talk much in between when I visit Denver, but we always try to get together when I'm in town.  I was 15 minutes late for dinner and she was reading a book when I got to the ...

''We don't have to be each other's cup of tea, but tolerance lets a variety of kettles peacefully share the stove.'' NPR This I Believe essay: True Tolerance by Joel Engardio This week I had an email dialogue with my oldest 'surviving' friend--the one that has never let my lapses in communication phase her.  T. is an evangelical Christian, ...

I haven't ironed anything in 3 years.  I don't even own a real iron--only a travel version. Even having one of those cute fold-down ironing boards in my cottage won't entice me to iron my clothes--and I have to tell you that I like linen in the summer! So how do I get my clothes to look halfway decent (and that's an approximation)? By ...

Tim Black, father of two daughters, Courtney and Taylor, taught hundreds of high school students in Stuart, Florida for over 25 years.  He is now retired, writing stories and living his life simply.  Tim's daughter Taylor died in 2001 of a brain tumor at the age of 18. The work of this stage of his life is ...

I live in a small, lovely cottage, and in the winter, living here in central Oregon, all the houseplants come inside. I really love plants and have a LOT of them, so they begin to take over a bit, competitive for window space and to be near--but not too near--my ancient gas fireplace that belts out the heat, without any ...