Reflections on faith, travel, writing, and small moments
Today is overcast and grey. I’ve never done well on gray overcast days. They seem to suck up my energy and make me lethargic and contemplative. I didn’t notice this about myself, however, until I lived in Russia for two years after college. The winters are long, cold, and grey in St. Petersburg. Everyone knows…
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Yesterday was my last class of the semester. I always do a semester review on the last day, but I also try to make it lighthearted and fun. I know the students are just done done done at this point. I usually am too – this semester especially so with a lingering cold and the…
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I’ve been battling a cold for the past week. The worst is over: the headache, stuffy nose, sinus pressure. The fatigue and brain fog still remain. Any time I get a cold I’m always “out of it.” Not just slow brain processing time, but as if I’m thinking differently. I’m not quite sure how to…
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Have I mentioned how much I love fabric? I don’t think so. Allow me to mention it. I love textiles. The feel – smooth, cool silk; cozy, warm flannel; crisp, strong cotton. The patterns and designs – each one a piece of art. The possibilities – a dress, an apron, a quilt? Yes, a quilt.…
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Last week was Spring Break. Everyone was ready for it. The students. Me. I was especially ready for some down time while battling this antibiotic that hopefully has killed the bacteria. (*See below for an update.) I love a break from my routine. I can easily feel confined by having to be at a certain…
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A couple of weeks ago I got bit by an unidentified insect. Three times on the inner crease of my left arm. I have no idea who the culprit was or when it happened. I do know that it got infected, with a large red bullseye around two of the bites. Almost a week after…
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I always say that fall and spring are my favorite seasons – usually in the dead of winter or scorching summer when I’m looking forward to relief from extreme temperatures. But as the winter freeze begins to thaw, I find 80 degrees with glittering sunshine one day and 50 degrees with overcast skies and pouring…
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Another tragedy. Another mass shooting. The same reactions. The same comments on social media. The same satiric cartoons. The same charts, graphs, and statistics. The same old rhetoric. What wasn’t the same was my reaction. As I scrolled through my social media accounts and saw the tears, anger, frustration I didn’t feel the same way…
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I’m pretty sure we’re all aware that the Winter Olympics started this last weekend. I love the Olympics, especially the Winter Games (ironic since I detest snow). My heart swells and I get teary-eyed watching the hopeful athletes march in with excitement and anticipation, especially from unlikely countries with only one or two athletes. I…
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When I taught English in New York a number of years ago, I worked with another teacher who often talked about her privileged upbringing. I can’t speak for her intentions, only how it made me feel. Less than. Not good enough. Unworthy. I felt as though I didn’t deserve as much as she did. I…
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