Twenty years ago today, my mother passed away. Miss you, mom. 

In Gabriel Garcia-Marquez’ book,  One Hundred Years of Solitude, the family patriarch Jose Arcadio Buendia loses his mind and spends the rest of his days tied to a tree. The family comes out to feed him, but Jo… Read full post »

This is my second experiment in my assignment to write a self portrait in preparation for a writer's workshop I will be attending in a few weeks. Actually, I wrote this before the self portrait I posted last week called Heart Yoga. Didn't like it, but played with it some more… Read full post »

            The pompadour was not a good look for my brother. His thick black hair had been gelled and combed back so high on his head it seemed to defy gravity. All that was missing for my brother to be The King were a pair of long/… Read full post »

In a few weeks, I will be attending a writer's workshop for literary non-fiction. Our first pre-conference assignment is to write a self-portait. So I am experimenting with different formats. I eliminated my first go at the assignment as too flat and gimmicky. This is my second variaton. Our assignme… Read full post »

My mom would have been 79 years old May 9th and this June 11th will be the 20th anniversary of her passing. I still miss her every day but after twenty years that bittersweet longing is mostly just sweet. She would have hated growing old anyway.

 My mom raised two children… Read full post »

"You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger"

Buddha  

 Lately, there has been lots of speculation and discussions about forgiveness and prosecution of perpetrators who commit terrible deeds. One headline I saw today even read, "Stop forgiving t… Read full post »

Good morning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55s3T7VRQSc

  Read full post »

I have had the honor to be the one to have to make the decision regarding when to institute DNR (do not resuscitate) protocols twice-- with my mother and again when my brother passed away. I have shared parts of  those experiences in this post here. I don't mean to speak… Read full post »

"Someday, after mastering the winds, the waves, the tides and gravity, we shall harness for God the energies of love --and then, for a second time in the history of the world, man will have discovered fire."
---
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Some sport bandanas. Others wear cowboy hats or tutus. So… Read full post »

And so, Dona Rosa closed her eyes; her young son began drumming and her daughter shaking a gourd. They began to sing. Dona Rosa’s head dropped to her chest and then a few moments later lifted up. She was no longer Dona Rosa, but—her children told me, my grandmother. Dona Rosa… Read full post »

Hello dear OSers, I miss you all dearly and have just moved to the other Salon but will continue to post here as long as I am able. I am also at www.storiesandstorytellers.com. I am starting a book on Mozambique and hope to publish some of the stories behind the stories… Read full post »

Hello friends, I have been away for many reasons but not because I don;t miss all of you kind people. I will return when things simmer down at my work. In the meantime, I wanted to share this wonderful documentary.  People with developmental disabilities were asked one question: "If you could… Read full post »

In Gabriel Garcia-Marquez’ book,  One Hundred Years of Solitude, the family patriarch Jose Arcadio Buendia loses his mind and spends the rest of his days tied to a tree. The family comes out to feed him, but Jose Arcadio Buendia loses the ability to really be present in the family.… Read full post »

I am noticing too many buff legislators out there. Why do these people have so much spare time to work out while people are losing their jobs and getting thrown out into the streets? I want my lawmakers to be fat with bags under their eyes because they’re eating… Read full post »

I recently found an article by Kelly Heyboar on the Huffington Post regarding the growing acceptance of the developmentally disabled in church.  I understand that to have people in a congregation who do not follow accepted norms of conduct can be experienced as disruptive. I appreciate that… Read full post »

The attack on teachers has been escalating for years. They are humiliated, vilified and punished for not being able to solve all the world's problems in their classrooms and for fighting for a living wage.

 My mother was a teacher. She taught from 3 year olds to adults. She was equally… Read full post »

I have not been around much lately. I apologize. My colleagues and I are trying to respond to a request by a  local school district  and we need to process the paperwork and try to be in and out of schools before April, before testing season. The last thing teachers and… Read full post »

We enjoy many freedoms in the United States: free speech, freedom to assemble, bear arms, practice our religion (or not).

 But we seem to have forgotten that with all freedoms come responsibility, and that just because we are free to do something does not mean we should. Whether we should or… Read full post »

Bruno as an angel  in a school performance. He ran across the stage and grabbed the baby Jesus that year. 

My brother Bruno spent his first year in Columbus at a nursing home. This was not because he was sick all that time, but because his recovery from pneumonia had… Read full post »

I am not worthy to dust the keyboards of you Iron Poets, but "First Kiss" brought back such sweet memories of the season.... 

You were my secret santa.

We were only to exchange one gift

But you left me presents every day.

There was the candy bar (A… Read full post »

 Lola Guilt Pose #53: "I-am-so-distressed-by-you-my-paws-hurt"**

This past Monday, Lola and I attended the last night of our Fun and Games class.  After six months of puppy kindergarten(s) and clicker-based obedience classes, I signed us up for this class because I was/… Read full post »

Sorry lassies me fleet o' Buckeye Buccaneer sis late; we had to jump a fleet o' politicians in Ohio on our way to the high seas. 

We'll have our way with them -- har, har until they beg to be thrown at sea. Pirate wimmin of OS RULE!!! Woo hoo!… Read full post »