The Battle of the Tassels

My willow oak is “blooming” or whatever that stage in its life is called when little tassels appear before full-grown leaves. I guess it’s tasseling. Since my deck is nearby, the wind fondly blows all those lovely little wisps onto it. There is no keeping it swept clean. Nemo, my furry friend, looks like a […]

Thoughts on Aging

Some things grow more valuable with age. Take cars, for instance. Those old models, fifty or more years old, aren’t they lovely? If they’ve been well cared for, they still purr down the highway, classic lines gleaming in the sunshine. And gems! I prefer antique jewelry that has been well-loved through the years. Gold never […]

The Genius of Shakespeare

For goodness sake, it is not a foregone conclusion that all is doom and gloom. I refuse to budge an inch from my belief that all will be well.  All the phrases in italics are attributed to William Shakespeare, that great master of words, who was born on this day in 1564 and died on this day in […]

How Much Were You Given?

I’ve been thinking, lately, about the phrase, “To whom much is given, much will be required.” This isn’t an exact quotation from the Book of Luke, but it’s the meaning. And then, I’ve been noticing people in the news who have been given much, and how they’ve used this gift. I’ve been disappointed that those […]

No Oxen; Clean Stall

No Oxen; Clean Stall

My backyard, like my grandchildren, has grown through stages. A horse tire swing once hung by a tree limb, a swimming pool sat under the maple, a playground set took up a hunk of the back yard. Then, there were muddy places, bare of grass which were obstacle courses for small cars and trucks, a […]

Beginning Again

It looked to me like there could have been a light frost last night, at least, on the neighbor’s roofs. The cold front is supposed to arrive tomorrow. I just had a sobering thought. If the temperature really hits 28 degrees, will all these lovely, green leaves be killed and will the trees have to […]