And even though I know the woods, the hills, the coastline, the land often surprises me. There is always a gift to uncover. The woodland is where I find solitude, where my thoughts keep cadence with my footsteps, where I can go to unpuzzle the world and find peace.
Category: reading
April Poem #9: The Souls of Birds
The birds return with their hope-filled songs. I think of them as angels returning to earth to share delight, to show us that one day soon we too will have wings.
April Poetry #1: April Remembers
This month, I am going to try my hand at writing poetry every day. April is my birth month so it's perfect that it is also National Poetry Month. For as long as I can remember, I have been writing poetry.
The Silly and the Sublime
The sky was decorated with amazing clouds. I gasped  and thought, “This is what sublime is. Sublime is the surf and sky dotted with this dramatic cloud cover in shades that run from bright white to cream to pale blue to pink to lavender.Â
Isle of Hope
Isle of Hope. I am enchanted by that name. You might think it’s a fictitious place, but it is very real and also historic. The Isle of Hope is about eight miles south of Savannah, Georgia. On this narrow strip of land lies Wormsloe State Historic Site. In 1737, Noble Jones built his homestead here … Continue reading Isle of Hope
Mindful Gardener
I’m lucky to live near many public gardens and arboretums. I cannot wait to see their spring offerings. This spring seems more precious to me, maybe it’s because of the precariousness of the world. I need a place of serenity and beauty, a place where things thrive and grow instead of being destroyed.Â
Invitation to Joy
I think that my major role as an educator is to invite joy. I have always thought this from the beginning of my career over forty years ago. Maybe it’s because I started teaching in a nursery school. You can’t help to be joyful when teaching two, three, and four-year-old children. They actually exude joie de vivre and happily invite adults into their world. It’s a great place to dwell.
Much Loved: Stuffed Animals & Their People
Mark Nixon's Much Loved is in the inspiration for this post, which features my most treasured stuffed animals.
Kitchen Literacy: Luck of the Irish
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! For years, I would bake Irish soda bread and read leprechaun stories with my young students. There is nothing like the smell of fresh-baked bread while listening to fanciful tales.Â
Consider the Pomegranate
Then my mom introduced me to the pomegranate, which we called a Chinese apple back then. Pomegranates were actually native to Iran and Northern India. They were so exotic to me.Â
Word Dancer: Literature, the Arts, & Education 