Rituals

Rituals! A practice with meaning that becomes a habit. Do you have a daily ritual? I begin each day with coffee and Bible reading.  It’s a pattern that gives structure to my day.   It’s a funny thing. The women in my cozy mysteries begin the day with drinking coffee too. And Flora, at least, […]

Mornings

“My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning” (Psalm 130:6). Something about mornings brings hope. I believe it is related to a life force within us that rises, like the mercury in a thermometer, with each new day. As I read that verse from Psalm 130, I can imagine […]

Do Things Seem Clearer?

My street is waking up this morning. Daylight lengthens; shadows  grow fainter while treetops turn golden from the rising sun. My thoughts, too, are stirring slowly, thinking about the day before me.  It’s funny, this “things become clearer only as I do them”. Must be some sort of rule. For example, I can draw a […]

A Summer Morning

Watering herbs and flowers on a summer morning has its own rewards. In the first place, mornings are cool and quiet. In the second place, being near herbs is reward in itself. They smell wonderful. This past spring, I planted an array of herbs in a large planter. They loved it there and thrived. Sage, […]

What Was That Sound?

What Was That Sound?

This morning, a strange sound woke me. At first, I didn’t recognize it. It had a nice ring to it as it plunked onto something metal outside. Another noise over-shadowed it, a soft rumble. Aha! Thunder! Rain. At last, it was raining. Now, the morning is still dark. Rain has stopped, but the clouds promise […]

Dogs, Flowers, Politics

Dogs, Flowers, Politics

I’ve had it with the news. Off it goes; off go those nasty Facebook posts that dim the sunshine in the day, and on to something that I enjoy–Nemo, flowers, coffee, fresh starts every morning. It’s a morning ritual that Nemo goes, first thing, to find his bone placed next to his tasty breakfast in […]