I have been to all three women’s marches. Eugene’s, this year, was called the Womxn’s march. I go alone and see who I end up with. I always find a buddy and we walk and talk through most of it. I ended up walking with a retired veterinarian this year and we talked about… Continue reading The March
Category: writing
Comfrey
Once comfrey puts down roots, it’s there to stay. It’s an invasive healer, my term. You see a lot of this plant in the Willamette valley. It prefers to grow in damp fields; meadows and ditches; and along the banks of streams and ponds. Symphytum officinalis is known commonly as comfrey. Comfrey is from… Continue reading Comfrey
Help with less answers and more listening
We often seek solutions or fixes to complex questions. There is a way to pause. A way to absorb what is going on before problem solving. Some would describe spiritual direction as a movement toward soul wholeness. A spiritual director is there to help us tune into ourselves. They are not there to tell us… Continue reading Help with less answers and more listening
Give into your whole self
New storms come Not on schedule But they blow around and wash the old away Maybe today you’ll find your ancient tomb All the colors still showing life and reverence To bring to your highest priest self, in current time The hollow ancient space in your chest Will connect with the lost heart of art… Continue reading Give into your whole self
Confidential Conversations
We end up together in a small room and I listen. It goes like this: a person comes in, and they speak a stream of images regarding their condition. First, they might say, “COW BUCKET WINDOW BREAD SUN ECHO.” And I say, “oh, ok…,” and I address this list. The subject is aches and pains,… Continue reading Confidential Conversations
Walk slowly and look closely
Dave could read coyote scat like tea leaves. “See this hair? That’s nutria.” Others contained grain, a mouse, grass. “That’s a thigh bone,” he pointed down to the ground to what looked like a mess inside of a mess. We saw no possums but were told that no one enjoys eating them, not even vultures.… Continue reading Walk slowly and look closely
A walk through backwater sloughs in a riparian forest
It’s like the place where Winnie the Pooh lives. It’s not the grounds to prove physical accomplishments, victories, or achievements. About 11 miles south of Corvallis, off Peoria road, Snag Boat Bend is a simple walk in a quiet place. It offers grass, blackberries, willows, water, leaves and trees. There is a bog. Beavers live… Continue reading A walk through backwater sloughs in a riparian forest
England smells different and other facts
The US verses the UK. Similar but different. At first glance, birds, squirrels, knobs, switches, levers, handles, toilets, breakfast, trains, blackberries, hotel lights…. seem the same. Quickly, they turn out not to be the same. Right away, crows are different. Or, rather, they have Jackdows, which look like crows. They are among the crow family.… Continue reading England smells different and other facts