Alas, this is not my title, but that of my favorite memoir, Carlos Eire‘s Waiting for Snow in Havana, which won the National Book Award in 2005. A rollicking Latin story of growing up prior to Castro taking power in Cuba, this memoir made me laugh, despair, rejoice and savor my own freedom here in the good ole USA. I’ve…
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Here’s to you, Punxsutawney Phil
Why no, it’s not snowing in Sonoma County. We’ve got a beautiful blue sky and 65 degrees. The windows are open and the house is flooded with light and warmth. I feel sorry for all of you romping in the freshly fallen snow back east. Which brings me to Puxatony Phil, a critter I’ve never met, but whom I’ve talked…
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Slash Marks the Very Good Trail
“Slash marks the very good trail.” What does that mean? Several years ago we enjoyed the movie End of the Spear, the story of the infamous murder of five missionaries in Ecuador in 1955. The movie was made by Steven Saint, son of one of the murdered missionaries. He spent time living in the jungle with those same Waodani (Aucas)…
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The blessing of showing up
Sometimes, just showing up can be a blessing for someone else. My husband Bob experienced that recently. Bob spent aseveral months two years ago mentoring a man, we’ll call Jay. Jobless, family-less, hope-less and discouraged, Jay couldn’t understand why his attempts to follow God had landed him in such a grim spot. Bob didn’t have any quick answers either, but…
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Thanks for gravity
After two weeks stepped out of time into a different life, I’m back. I hope your Christmas season was as rich with friends and relatives as mine. This morning as I prayed and considered God‘s many blessings, out of my mouth came, “thank you, Lord, for gravity.” While I am the mother of an astronomer, even I thought that a…
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A Lost Job’s riches
My husband lost his job once. He didn’t have full-time employment for a year. As a retired sailor, he did have income and our family didn’t worry about starving. But I immediately went into survival mode and watched every penny with an intensity that made everyone feel uncomfortable. I couldn’t bear to walk into a store for months afterward; my…
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