Frank and Elaine are home. Hurray! They’ve been gone for a long time. Their son and his wife, both physicians, asked them to come to look after their kids for a year, while the new doctors did a one-year stint in Baltimore. Now the son’s family are en route to New Mexico, where they plan… Continue reading Home
Author: Nancy J. Moncrieff
Time Together
When Daughter Number One and her husband arrived from Wyoming, they came bearing gifts: a couple thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles. D#1 chose the ones she did for their pleasing images—one of North American birds and one of Yellowstone—and because they looked hard. She forgot to factor in that she’d be among those putting the puzzles together. … Continue reading Time Together
Messages
“Midsummer is a field of Queen Anne’s-lace spiked with the blue of chicory,” declares Barbara Pond in her 1974 book, A Sampler of Wayside Herbs. My all-time-favorite boss made me a gift of the book, lo these many years ago, explaining that that combination of wildflowers, which graces the book’s cover, was his favorite. … Continue reading Messages
Dopamine Dressing
Summer in southeast Michigan is moving right along, judging by the fruits that are ripening near us. Michigan. The Dexter Blueberry Farm reports its berries ready for picking. White mulberries are already getting hard to spot on the tree by the Argo Cascades. They’re been edible for over a month now, and my friend Sue… Continue reading Dopamine Dressing
Corgi Races
Last Saturday, I hit the county fairgrounds for the Saline Celtic Festival. Bagpipes skirled, Irish dancers whirled, spinners spun. There were highland games, weaving and knitting demonstrations, and, incongruously, an exhibition of exotic animals such as komodo dragons, which are native to Indonesia. Because it was a largely-rainy day, I attended just two events, giving… Continue reading Corgi Races
Understandings
Rascal and I have been walking earlier in the day, when the world is cooler. He is generally not in favor of getting up early, but he can’t tell time. If the sun’s up, it’s all good. The cloud cover was so heavy yesterday morning, however, that the system failed. When I was ready to… Continue reading Understandings
Smoke and Water
Shortly after rising, one day this week, I looked out a window and stopped breathing, mid-breath. Something awful had happened to my vision. Try as I might—and I tried mightily—I couldn’t focus on anything in the back yard. A minute later, it dawned on me that I could focus fine on what was in the… Continue reading Smoke and Water
Along the Sidewalks
The trumpet vine growing up the utility pole at Georgetown and Yorktown is starting to bloom, which is a real treat for birds, bees, and people. The trunk—and, yes, I do mean trunk—of the vine is approximately as big around as the utility pole itself. The foliage is so thick that it hides untold numbers… Continue reading Along the Sidewalks
Walking Grand Rapids
Janice and I went on an adventure this week. We drove a couple hours to Grand Rapids, Michigan, and walked and walked and walked. Our first stop was the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, a hundred and fifty-eight acres of luscious plantings and monumental art. I’d been to the conservatory there a number… Continue reading Walking Grand Rapids
Smoke and Laughter
Parts of Canada are on fire. That, all by itself, is terrible news for our neighbor to the north. Even worse, smoke from the wildfires is affecting life on Earth, making the air hard to see through and hard to breathe. Californians are familiar with these problems. So are people in the Rockies. Those planning… Continue reading Smoke and Laughter