Jette welcomes me to her class. Around the room before-and-after photos garden books, stacks of old 'Garden Wise' to give away. She tells stories of rescuing roots from roadsides extols the benefits of manure the nutrition of seaweed. She is a woodstove ablaze with garden enthusiasm. I am warmed by her fire recall my old… Continue reading Garden Yang-yin
Summer's orchestra plays woodwind overture of a bird-filled morning. Viola hum of bees quark of oboe ducks blend with bowing violins of an insect-busy refrain Trombone slide convertibles show off the flashy third movement. Clink of cutlery and crystal are percussion tremolo laughter the piccolo trills of a pitch-perfect finale. Encore! © 2009 by Violet… Continue reading Summer Serenade
It no longer matters that I'm not good at basketball. Who cares that I'm the oldest of nine. Don't follow my example now! University is the place to discover myself. Who cares that I'm the oldest of nine? My high school dates were awkward and pimply. University is the place to discover myself and ace… Continue reading U-days
Sonia is from the sandbox, from Cabbage Patch dolls and sidewalk chalk. She’s from the cul-de-sec where she rode her pink bike around and around in spring break rain. She’s from camping and reading along with taped storybooks, under the slanting canvas of the tent trailer. Sonia is from strong coffee and getting up early… Continue reading Where Sonia is From
Born a common spark baby tongue creeps, crawls nibbles grasses, needles, twigs. Lambent cub egged on by wind. runs and leaps, laughs and licks. Hungry adolescent hunts smorgasbord of pine, hemlock, fir belches plumes of caustic smoke. Suffocating scent stampedes forest creatures to the glittering river sends wild-eyed homeowners in 4x4s loaded with papers, photos,… Continue reading Forest Usurper
We did not know our old house had such lovely bones until we put her on a diet. All her flab from furniture to knickknacks trimmed. Frumpy wardrobe of linoleum replaced. A facelift of paint took years off dinged and battered walls. Finally we coifed her with a new roof. Now svelte and chic she's… Continue reading Makeover
It is just like God to send you on ahead. Now we can hardly wait to walk up the geranium-lined path to your mansion. On the way inside you will steer us past your garden point out the gargantuan beefsteak tomatoes bushes heavy with raspberries field of cucumbers huge heads of cabbage perfect for sauerkraut.… Continue reading Mom Nesdoly
"At Jesus Feet" by Nathan Greene "She (Martha) had a sister called Mary who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." Luke 10:39,40a Too often Martha takes charge– I schedule service with conditions, workboots clomp on everything threatening my… Continue reading The Martha In Me
Spring isn't pallid snowdrops shyly coil'd in chilly Feb. It isn't jewel primulas or burgeoning rhodo's red. Not hyacinths poking through dirt or blossom bursts of plum, not heather clumps abuzz once more with bees that float and hum. Not tulips or camellias unfurling on the scene, nor lilacs or forsythia soon giving way to… Continue reading Spring Isn’t (because it is that time of year again)
"Gospel" is a beige word, one of those words we read but it doesn't register because it's so common. It shouldn't be that way. For gospel" (euangelion), a word that means "good news," has significance to all of us. While in ancient Greek "gospel" referred to the reward given for bringing good news, in the… Continue reading Black Hole
Violet Nesdoly 