Rachel Carson: “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature—the assurance that dawn comes after night, and… Read more
General
stains your mouth with morning
Strong Coffee by Anne Higgins Strong coffee smells like a current of warm southerly air in the climate of dawn. Strong coffee gets stronger when poured back through the grounds. Opaque, thick, hot, bitter for waking up, the caffeine pumps… Read more
General
Keeping it simple
“Stay low, stay quiet, keep it simple, don’t expect too much, enjoy what you have.” — This statement by Dean Koontz sums up my philosophy of living a simple life. I’m continually saying, “Enjoy what you have.” I think we… Read more
A Story
A potpourri: storms to northern lights
We’ve had storms. On Wednesday I wrote: The storm is a spectator sport with roller derby waves, trees doing the rhumba, rain falling like waving racetrack flags, and winds sounding like angry fans. After my piano lesson I had a blast out… Read more
A Story
Connections
The winds have tumbled through the trees and across the Salish Sea this week like teenagers running from trouble. My week has scurried by with as much force as those winds and on multiple trajectories. First up on Monday was this… Read more
General
What would life be without home grown tomatoes?
Do any of you remember that song? Though I didn’t grow tomatoes this year, my next door neighbour did and in abundance. Lucky for us, she shares! This basket of tomatoes was sitting on our fence last Friday morning (6:30am) — a… Read more
Books Diane Recommends, General
On Agnes and other miscellany
“The measure of your life is the amount of beauty and happiness of which you are aware.” – Agnes Martin [aside: I wonder why people don’t name their daughters Agnes anymore? It’s a lovely name and sounds so nice when… Read more
General
spices from a million flowers
Stargazer lilies perfume the evening breeze. The soft mutterings of geese can be heard as they float along the beach below. The light is golden against the trees, pink against the horizon, and stretching shadows into thin comedies. Since welcoming… Read more