Today I wrote the following paragraph – wait, have some caffeine before you read it to prevent from falling into a deep sleep. Activities for this project all fall under the standard indicators at the levels of element 1.3.5-8, and more specifically under 1.6.1-14, 2.4.2-5, and 2.4.2-8, of the F Framework Governing Justly and Democratically (GJD). … read more The F Framework
Month: May 2016
Farm boys at the airfield
When Dad was 22, he had never been on an airplane or been anywhere but Ohio. He was a farm boy before World War II. He was processed through Dayton at Wright-Patterson with thousands of other farm boys, and I guess that’s where he got a few days of training to be an air traffic controller. Then he … read more Farm boys at the airfield
None can compare
When I see bright, fluorescent pink in the forest, it’s usually leftover trail blaze tape or an empty Energy Gel packet. I was huffing along the trail, trying to finish my eight-plus miles in three and half hours. Looked like I’d make it. I didn’t. Because of the pink. No, it wasn’t FIRE PINK. It was … read more None can compare
The one-legged grasshopper
When we’re at the cabin, we sit around for hours, reading or just looking at nature. Booger Hollow is that kind of place. Sitting still, outside, gives me the chance to observe lots of insects. So I saw this guy. He was moving along the railing and I got closer to watch. Then I noticed he was … read more The one-legged grasshopper
Between heaven and hell
Their branches curve thick and muscled as the arms of thugs on the waterfront. Their leaves sprout glossy and tough, built to survive temperatures 20 degrees below zero. Their roots defy attacks, continuing to grow even when everything else on the tree has been chopped off. This plant is not just a survivor, but a warrior. The pollen is violent: … read more Between heaven and hell
Vanity view
At the end of a hard day like this one, I love to paddle my kayak on the lake. Drifting, looking at water and trees and green …. so soothing. Sometimes, though, the lakeshore greenline is shattered. I see a group of trees that look like they’ve been hit with a terrible disease. One that is … read more Vanity view
Little plastic things
Today I had to do the chore I hate: cleaning before the cleaners. You know, where you go around and pick up all the crap that is lying around your house, before the cleaners come in, so that they can get to the surfaces that need to be cleaned. In between putting clothes away and breaking … read more Little plastic things
Heavy metal
When we first went to Afghanistan, we stayed in a guesthouse called Chez Ana on Passport Lane. It was a quiet street that began at the passport office on Salang Wat, and Ana’s was at a little crook in the dirt road. Ana was from Croatia, and she did what she could to deal with the hodge … read more Heavy metal
To get to the other side
Why were all the cars stopping? I was on my third lap of 12 at the playfield, just hitting my stride. I’d been half an hour late for most of the day, kept trying to make up for it, kept failing. On the road next to the playfield, cars were slowing down and stopping at a certain … read more To get to the other side
Small and simple
It seems the more I concentrate, the smaller and simpler my glass pieces become. They are trying to tell me a story. In just a couple of inches, or less. Hands praying, asking. A spirit flying above. A worker waving goodbye at the border. And a face. Just a face. Smiling a little, maybe. Something else, maybe. … read more Small and simple