Blog
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Who Made The World?
I ask this now, each time something particularly beautiful in nature captures my eye. The question encompasses what I feel in that moment. Wonder, awe, joy, gratitude, love. A young tree beginning to blush at the tail end of summer. A caterpillar braving the trail to get under the leaf on the other side. A…
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Forests Undersea
My dream home as a child was a commodious undersea bubble attached to a steep shoreline with an inconspicuous door exiting to a pristine beach. The clear sphere let in sunlight from above while allowing a 360 view from the king bed facing deep blue. Animals swimming by lived in harmony – sharks with fish,…
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The Dirt on Soil
Might there be a seedling of a gardener in all of us. A yearning however small to witness something grow of our own nurturing. A nibble to eat, a bloom to admire, a shade of green on which to rest our eyes. I’ve aspired for decades to experience the satisfaction that comes with creating new…
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Three Little Birds
The gentle whistle of a black-capped chickadee has the potency to sway me skyward from whatever gloom may be simmering in my head. Darkness to light, perturbation to peace, delivered on a few puffs from deep within his syrinx. If there is still birdsong, a small part of me still believes everything will be okay. The…
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Project Plastic
Every year, tending to the ritual of springtime weeding, I lay compost in select areas of my yard. Probably less than is required for optimal soil health, but I figure the benefits compound over the years, so I do just enough to feel like I’ve nurtured my plant family. This used to be manageable for…
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How We’re Remembered
On this late spring day the two of us leisurely explore the little patch of earth that is my urban backyard. The ground squishes and wriggles from overnight rain, the sun glimpses on us shyly from behind clouds. He’s old enough to ask questions now, my future grandchild, and he’s giddy with wonder and sunshine.…
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Life in the Dark
Early morning is fuzzy outlines and shades of charcoal. My preferred time of day regardless of season, but in winter, these minutes towards dawn stretch liminally longer. I feel along the bedroom wall to the bathroom, then proprioceptively find my way to the Bunn machine. Muscle memory guides me to the indelible pleasure of bitter…
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Olivia
At 5am when we set out to find her, the beach in Costa Rica was still dark, a few days before the new moon. Our guide illuminated the way with a dim red beam, translator Patricia explained how white light frightens the turtles, turns them back toward the water. Our group of eight followed closely,…
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Biophilia
West beyond the downtown waterfront and placid-blue Elliott Bay, Bainbridge island welcomed the setting sun yet earlier on this November day. Alaskan Way hummed as commuters headed home, and the sidewalk was sparse of pedestrians, unlike in summer when throngs of tourists populate this pocket of Seattle. We breezily found a parking spot alongside the…
