Had I still been using a typewriter, there would be a pile of balled up, partially typed pages surrounding my desk. I thought I had a good piece written, but then not quite. It was reworked, altered, I paraphrased another writer, tried to add wit which only seemed forced, moved paragraphs…no, lead sentences…no…start again. I thought this column would be about barren ground, earth laid fallow and exposed. I wanted to tell you about how it’s not natural to create... Read more
I love seed catalogs, they evoke such hope! I peek at them quickly as they come into the house then set them in a basket next to my reading table. When I have a block of time, which is easier to find in the winter, I pick up the stack and snuggle into my chair. With my feet up, and a cup of tea, I peruse their colorful pages and dream. And that is when I, and most of my... Read more
It was another one of those sleepless nights. I was in my upstairs flat, a small three room living area, and decided to make some tea when the lights went out. It was pitch black, too dark for even shadows to fall. Groping and stubbing toes, I swept one hand back and forth in front of me seeking a safe way through the dark. My other hand grasped the back of a chair, reluctant to release something familiar. There was... Read more
Looking ahead into the new year of 2013, I’ve pulled a reflection from my latest book Cultivating God’ Garden through Lent. From the past I share a lesson of timing. Unexpected Warmth (Wednesday of the First Week of Lent) New Years Day 2011 Leaning against the dented aluminum siding near the back door were snow shovels and a covered pail of deicer. They had replaced the garden spade and rake. It was the beginning of January, and here in the... Read more
My grandparents were born in 1896 and 1901. Their families immigrated to Detroit when they were teenagers. She had planned to become a nun, and he had graduated from Michigan State College (now MSU) in dairy science. Not a very avant-garde image. But it was the roaring twenties when they met, and things were about to become radical. He was a Protestant from Ireland and she Italian and loyal to The Pope. In that decade mixed marriages of this type were... Read more
During the Christmas season poinsettias, Norfolk pines, Christmas cactus, cyclamen and rosemary are often purchased to decorate our homes or given as gifts. Knowing how to care for these popular holiday plants can be a challenge. So for those of you with the not-so-green thumb, here are some basic care instructions. Poinsettia: This is the most frequently purchased plant for Christmas. It ranges from tones of red to white. The colored leafy bracts, which we think of as flowers, can... Read more
Its Christmas time and I love how the fragrance and beauty of evergreens adds to celebrating this holy season. Many of us add Christmas trees, wreaths or garlands to our homes. Collectively, evergreens for early Christians symbolized everlasting life because their boughs stay green all year. Two weeks ago at CatholicMom.com I wrote about the origin of the most popular decoration, the Christmas tree, aka Paradise Tree. The next most popular decoration is the wreath. A wreath, being a circle, has... Read more
The New Evangelization, media promoting the Church, bishops and bloggers, Vatican web presence…a Papal Twitter account? My head is spinning and my grandmother is probably twirling in her grave. I am easily lost on this sea of invisible waves though I am not resistant to getting into the boat, even if I don’t know how to navigate. All this hurried communication is foreign to my long standing…um, kneeling…tradition of a prayer life. There is a strong aversion to this “advancement”... Read more
I know…this is supposed to be about Christmas greens…next week, I promise. I’ve had several friends ask for another column about gifts for gardeners. So, by request…here are a few gift suggestions, products that I’ve found ease gardening tasks: I’m not sure there is a more practical tool than the bulb planter that attaches to a drill. I remember my first attempt at power-drilling holes for bulbs. I noticed the paint stirrer attached to my grandfather’s hand drill and thought... Read more
This tree has its own familiar presence in our lives. In the tradition of the Eastern Church the feast day of Adam and Eve, whom they consider saints, is December 24 th. It was on this date that a Paradise Tree was decorated with red apples or quince that represented the forbidden fruit…the rest of the story can be found in my column at Catholic Mom web site. Read more
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