The Gift of Flowers
At this time of the year, our convent yard here in Chardon is graced with many flowers. In spring we said, “Hello again!” to our purple lilacs and white lilies-of-the-valley. Then we welcomed our azeleas, roses, and wachmacallits. (I use that term affectionately for flowers I cannot name.) Right now as I write this the peonies in our backyard are spreading their scent everywhere. If I lean out my third floor window I can catch their sweet aroma. Hmmmm! They smell so good! And Sister Sandy (our resident gardener) has decorated our side porch with yellow and orange begonias and multicolored pansies. Beautiful! (more…)
Wendell Berry: Writer, Environmentalist, Farmer
Recently a participant at one of my presentations gave me the book, A Timbered Choir, by Wendell Berry. The book, a collection of some of his poetry, reawakened my interest in this prolific American writer. (more…)
The Poetry of Trees
The poet Joyce Kilmer wrote: “I think that I shall never see/ A poem lovely as a tree.” Let’s take a few moments today to reflect on the wonder, beauty, and poetry of trees. (more…)
My Quotation Collection
When I was in high school, I began collecting quotations: A line from a poem, a proverb I chanced upon, something I read in a book. I dutifully copied them into a small notebook and took joy in reading them from time to time. (more…)
Remembering the Nazi Concentration Camps
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration camps by American and Soviet forces. It is a fitting time to reflect on this horrific chapter in our human history. Why dwell on something so gruesome? One reason is this: So that the phrase “never again” may become part of our very identity as human beings. (more…)
