The day had been long and arduous, bitter cold with a biting wind, too many errands and way too much traffic.  I was dead tired and longing to get home

“Have your binoculars ready! My neighbor called to me just after I had turned away from my bird-watching window, after I had finished my breakfast with the birds: the sprightly

Christmas is over. The angels, magi and shepherds have departed.   Joseph, Mary and Jesus have gone back home to Nazareth. End of story.  Yet, is it? The Christmas carol, “Good

Many years ago, when my granddaughter was a toddler, she had a Playmobil Nativity set: plastic shepherds, a crib with hay, a barn. When her grandfather and I arrived for

I don’t string popcorn any more, with cranberries; or bake sugar cookies, make gingerbread houses. My tree is small, the right size for the pot on the shelf with a

I dreamed a dream a while ago. It went like this: I had been invited to a TV talk show. Neither the topic, nor the host, nor any other invitees

“It’s time to make the witches brew!” I called upstairs to my young granddaughter. She raced down and into the kitchen. “What’s first,” I asked, “what’s the first thing we

I shall write about the humble pumpkin seed. But is it something that you’d really want to read? It’s a thing so very tiny and it isn’t even shiny so

Going about my errands in town last week, I popped into one of my favorite shops. I was intent on finding care package items for my granddaughter and was sure

I’m a singer. No, let me qualify that statement. I am an amateur, “amateur” in the best sense of the word, which is, I am a lover of singing. I

Yesterday I took a walk; a short warmup before addressing the garden tasks waiting for me. I walked around four blocks in my neighborhood. An ordinary morning walk but one

I have a gentle and kindly space. There’s not much to it. One room with a galley kitchen and small bathroom. And a porch. And the whole outdoors. The old