Everything was cancelled by 10 a.m. here – because we had, what, 1/2″ of snow? Not even enough to go snowshoeing… I brought a clump of snow inside, and sat it on a black board to study it with my camera. Here’s what I found: A whole world in less than an inch. A dancer in … read more A world of snow
Month: February 2016
The first
Daffodils are kind of … daffy. They come up too early every year, oblivious to the dangers that are looming just over the snow-laden cloud-filled horizon, sticking their cheerful faces to the sun at the first sign of warmth. Yet there’s something about seeing the first one. It gives you a blindly loyal kind of hope, … read more The first
Dad’s necklaces
Dad didn’t have much chance to acquire a taste for expensive jewelry. He was an Ohio farmer boy in a poor German Catholic family, one of eight kids being raised by a widow during the Depression. But he liked jewelry better than Mom, I think. Mom seemed to feel that jewelry was showing off and … read more Dad’s necklaces
Folding into comfort
I pushed a little button and felt myself sink back… aaaah! That’s the way I want to feel in my living room. Stretched out and relaxed. A little voice teases me: This is the kind of furniture old people buy. I’ve been spending a lot of time on our couch in the last couple years, particularly in … read more Folding into comfort
The young woman in Wuhan
South China, 1992 For months I had been editing stories at China Daily about how China’s moribund state-owned enterprises were being closed, disassembled, and sold off in bits. It was part of Deng Xiaoping’s ongoing push for economic reform, which he had just re-emphasized with his tour of South China. As I traveled through South China … read more The young woman in Wuhan
Swimming in beauty
Before my aneurysm, I went to water aerobics and swam laps in this pool. I was very purposeful – get in, get the exercise, get a shoulder massage from the whirlpool, get out. It was only when I began to use the pool more slowly – in the open area outside the lap lanes – … read more Swimming in beauty
First day on the clock
I always end up breaking one of the “rules of writing”: Do it in the morning. I just can’t do it. This standard advice for writers is intended to give your freshest, most creative brain over to writing. It’s also to make sure you get it done. But I work with people who are 10 … read more First day on the clock
Silent work
The teacher was doing something strange with his hands. Everyone around me was doing the same thing. So I did it, too. Then I stopped looking around, because of what I felt. I was in a park in Beijing, in 1991. It was at the end of a tai chi session. I had briefly studied tai … read more Silent work
Other gifts, too
About a month into my recovery, a friend who is an herbalist and practices traditional Chinese medicine told me: “Your shen had a fright and has yet to fully return. Taking baby steps to make things nice and cozy ‘in Lisa’ will entice your shen’s full return.” She recommended herbs, meditation, looking at green things, being … read more Other gifts, too