Today, I finished with one of my final law school applicants for the year and I found myself having to resist the urge to burst into tears. I get really close to the kids I work with since we craft a personal statement that often takes several months of weekly meetings. Often, I have had…

Our friend Darrah Dunn has worked with us for over 30 years in both our antique business and our architectural restoration projects. He is not only an artist but also a master craftsman, who has lent his expertise to our many endeavors, big and small. In the photo below, he is working on repairing French…

The ticking of the clock Or the heart Signals the passing of time Seconds turn to minutes turn to days Each blending into the other Year after year Then the moment comes When the ticking stops Life shifts to death An end or a new beginning? A discovery we will all make in time

I wrote this a few years back, but found it today and wanted to share it. This is somewhat reminiscent of my own beloved music teacher though an intervention of this type never occurred. I expect she might have appreciated it if it had.  Len There were 17 cats in Dr. Fredericks’s basement and it…

In this moment I am surrounded by people, birds, and animals They smile at me from the mantle here in my living room They tell me of life in other places and other times Some are from Africa, from Native American tribes, from India Their stances tell me their stories Some war-like, some peaceful One…

I love this group. Their music embodies pretty much everything I love: a little blues, some serious lead guitar, great lyrics, perfectly-pitched voices, and toe-tapping rhythm. They are “an American psychedelic soul band” from Austin, Texas and theyt won their first Grammy in 2020 as Best New Artists. I heard their song “Colors” today and…

I am a great admirer of the Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh who died on January 22, 2022. For years, I have owned his book, Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life and have periodically revisited it. After his death recently, I decided to order several more of his books and…

Yesterday I went with Liz to fill up the propane tanks we use at the orange grove. We took the pickup so we could haul them in the back along with some hay we needed to buy for the alpacas. When we arrived at the propane place, the young man who helped us was tall,…

I have a long fuse, but a hot temper once the fuse runs out. Ask my husband. I am calm and forgiving to a point and then, bam! I move straight to mad and can be (as we say in Texas) pure-D mean. I am working on not being a hothead but it comes somewhat…