Fear stalked me for a long time in language learning. When I started learning French as a teenager, I was extremely self-conscious, battered down by criticism of my appearance, and desperately afraid to speak in public. This was not conducive to practicing a new language, where mistakes are inevitable. I limited my utterances to the … Continue reading What am I afraid of?
Chris of Calmgrove asked if I was planning to post some visits to Swiss castles, given the theme of my blog. I thought that was a lovely idea, so I'll try to oblige! At the moment we are not really able to travel, but I was in the beautiful city of Solothurn the other day … Continue reading Postcards from Switzerland: Solothurn
O see the sunAt midnight's toll;Set stone on stoneIn barren soil.Earth turns toward darkness now,And death seems all our fate --Yet every end knows howBeginning lies in wait. Above shall ring the songOf love's eternal birth;Below, build safe and strongA home for peace on earth.The sun's sure glowIn deepest nightWeaves through our woeDivine delight. (A … Continue reading Christmas
Four years ago, on November 9, 2016, my world turned upside down. I woke up to the news that Donald Trump had won the presidency (or at least the electoral college). Hardly anyone in my world had expected this result. I said to my husband in horror, "He won!" -- and he bizarrely thought I … Continue reading 9/11 and 11/9
I just returned from two weeks in Crete - glorious weather, dramatic scenery, the loveliest Mediterranean swimming, and fascinating archaeological sites. I was a bit nervous about traveling during the pandemic but we were outside most of the time and masked whenever not and returned in good health. The tourist volume was way below normal, … Continue reading Land of the labyrinth
As well as multiple languages, there are other things I've had to get used to in Switzerland. Some of these I knew about from previous visits, while others came as a not so pleasant surprise. And some may be general European things, while others are more particularly Swiss; I can't be sure, not having spent … Continue reading Settling into Switzerland
Honeybees are so important and so endangered in our world today. I'm grateful for the years I spent working in the office at The Pfeiffer Center in Chestnut Ridge, New York, where I learned something about these amazing creatures, and got to know some beekeepers who are doing wonderful, holistically-oriented programs. If you want to … Continue reading Seeking the honey of life
As we retreat from one another and the world to reduce our risk of contagion, the passing of harmful substances from one person to another, it makes me wonder about the transmission of health. Is this something that may also be passed from one person to another? It would seem not, because health is not … Continue reading Can health also be contagious?
Reading the Bible on the one-year plan is a fascinating experience. I've read it in bits and pieces before, but never so intensively. One thing I did not expect was how illuminating it would be to read the Old Testament. It is full of rich, archetypal picture-language that can still speak to us today with … Continue reading Our daily bread
I've started a project of reading the Bible in one year, using an app that divides it into three daily readings from the Psalms and Proverbs, New Testament, and Old Testament, with commentary. I don't always agree with the evangelical bent of the commentator, but mostly the themes and resonances that he points out are … Continue reading Wrestling with fear
