LONG AGO, in another century, I once wrote a book about an Old Turtle. And then another (Old Turtle and the Broken Truth) and another (Old Turtle: Questions of the Heart).
Chinese Elm Bonsai
HAPPY DAY! My little Chinese Elm bonsai, acquired last September and which, after shipping, went into winter dormancy almost immediately, has decided it’s Spring! And is beginning to sport sprightly green leaves all over. This is OK, as this Southern California tree is being kept indoors for the winter, and will later this year start getting adapted to Minnesota seasons.
My Mother “Joyce Wood” Wit and Wisdom
MY MOTHER, JOYCE WOOD, TAUGHT PIANO LESSONS FOR SEVENTY-TWO YEARS STRAIGHT. In a row. With no years off. You get the idea. A great teacher. She passed away three years ago, and I’ve shared some of her wit and wisdom here before. Following is a document that will sound familiar to every teacher of any subject, although the details are
During Winter In The Pine Point Woods
DURING WINTER HERE IN THE PINE POINT WOODS, the day begins with a short walk out to the carriage-house garage to check on the bonsais.
Far From The City
IT HAS BEEN A FROSTY, frosty week here at the Church O’ The Pines. Meteorologists tell us this stagnant air is ‘dirty’. But here in the forest, far from the city, it doesn’t feel dirty.
Abandon Selfishness
ABOUT TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY YEARS AGO A TEACHER WAS BORN INTO THIS WORLD. We celebrate his birth yet today, and particularly on this night. At its essence, his teaching called upon us to abandon selfishness. To love our neighbor as ourselves. And to greatly expand our idea of who our ‘neighbor’ might be–beyond the comforting restrictions of family and
“The Night Before Christmas.”
HI GANG: IT IS TIME, WE THINK, FOR A CHRISTMAS READING. So here I am, with a vintage copy of “The Night Before Christmas.”
Christmas Season: Merriment, Family, And Fun
CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON OF MERRIMENT, FAMILY, AND FUN. But it can also be a time of the awareness of loss, of missing someone special, or of nostalgia for times gone by.
Day of Celebration
TODAY AT THE CHURCH O’ THE PINES it is gray and gloomy, with a few snowflakes dusting the limbs of the deacons. But it is a DAY of CELEBRATION!
Northern Clearing Co.
IT IS A BIG DAY AT THE CHURCH O THE PINES, as guys from the Northern Clearing Co. are here, opening up (dead and threatening trees and limbs) the area around our power lines that run to the cabin.