Postmortem In the late winter of this year, I struggled with the treatment for my blood cancer, multiple myeloma. It consisted of three ingredients taken over the course of a 28 day period. My quality of life, due to side effects, was poor. I’d toughed it out over seven cycles, but the drugs did not … More Postmortem
“We are all just walking each other home.” Ram Dass My days follow a simple pattern. I walk, I read, and I nap. Today, I wander through our neighborhood alone. Current events reveal a world gone mad. I am careful to not dive deep into the follies of mankind. It’s a whirlpool of regret. Wars, … More Friends, Canes, And Walking
I fed the birds all winter long. I scattered seed and hung suet cages. A multitude of sparrows, juncos, and chickadees visited during the dreary time of mid-winter. As the days lengthened in March, more colorful species began to arrive. Gold finches and their rosy cousins brightened the budding lilacs. They stopped by for snacks … More Ordinary Things
“Writing is a form of activism.” Brooke Warner I am a mediocre typist. Hunt and peck is my style. Furthermore, my fine motor skills deteriorate with age. The pinky of my left hand wanders. When I attempt to strike the letter A, the letter S often appears instead. Or, that little finger double taps a key, … More Writing
We were married in a snow storm. The date: February 1st, 1975. The place: The Wawona Hotel’s Sunroom in Yosemite National Park. The winter weather caused road closures. One invitee didn’t make it in. All those who did spent an extra day stranded in the snowy ambiance of Yosemite. Our friend, Bill Cahill performed the … More Fifty Years
“If I knew the way, I would take you home.” The Grateful Dead Thirty five degrees: good walking weather for January. I drove two miles west to the trailhead. The sky was pale blue and smeared with transparent milky clouds. I turned my collar up against a brisk breeze. The forested trail, damp from recent … More Zen Creek
“Sometimes, what you are trying to hold onto is exactly what you should let go of.” Anonymous The first nurse I knew was my Mother. She received training at the University of Wisconsin. That would have been the mid 1930s, during the depression. I don’t think she practiced her vocation when living in the midwest. … More The Company Of Nurses
“What a great time to be alive, if you love the theater of the absurd.” David Lynch November arrives. Cooler, wet weather accompanies the calendar. It comes dressed in familiar garb. A grey sweater of cloud warms the heart, if not the skin. Overcast skies diffuse the autumn light. Primary colors morph into pastels. Trees … More The Fall Of Color
“It is a serious thing just to be alive on this fresh morning in the broken world.” Mary Oliver A breeze puffs and stops. The neighbor’s oak leaves float across our fence. They dance, twirling in descent, and settle atop the river rock in my yard. Friction with the earth holds them in abeyance of … More Autumn Light
“Life is not what one lived, but what one remembers …” Gabriel Garcia Marquez I head south from my house in town. The road winds past the Westside Fire Station and the Catholic Cemetery. Further on, I pass the high school and the airport. Orchards of pear, apple, and peaches come into view. I cross … More Lost Lake
Good Blood, Bad Blood 