Petals in the Pool

I hesitate to use the words "pandemic" and "pleasures" in the same phrase, but what follows is indeed an anecdotal list of the foods, shows, and activities I've taken great pleasure in over the last several weeks. None are earth-shaking, but all have brought a smile to my face. If you know me even the slightest bit, you know I love to read - especially historical fiction. My favorite novels include Pride & Prejudice, written by Jane Austen in 1813 - just a few decades after the events of the Cornwall-set Poldark series begin to take place. I don't know why it took me so long to discover the BBC series, now available on Amazon Prime. I remember my parents watching it and loving it when it first aired on PBS several years ago. At any rate, I'm savoring each episode and plan to soon treat myself to the series of books on which the shows are based. I'm a sucker for a great soundtrack, and the Poldark score by Anne Dudley doesn't disappoi...

Back in January, we found out that our church's student ministry would be traveling to England for their biennial international mission trip. Dorothy was, of course, excited. Rich and I were beyond ecstatic. We had several weeks before been reminiscing about our time living in England and traveling abroad, and talked about how cool it would be for Dorothy to have a similar, though age-appropriate and Spirit-led, adventure. We felt that England, as opposed to more exotic, previous destinations like Kenya and Dominica, would be a good starting point for Dorothy's international travel experience. (One of my dearest wishes for my girls is that they travel as much as they can, while they can. The world is a big place once you get out into it, and traveling opens up your mind, heart, and soul in ways that staying Stateside never could.) And so our preparations began. The requirements in and of themselves were daunting. Going on this trip would be not be for the faint of heart. ...

First it was Indian Wells, then Wimbledon. First ALTA, then USTA. First my neighborhood court, then the tennis center where I have all my team practices. Then the county facilities where I play singles. My tennis opportunities were drying up, just as my youngest daughter was clamoring for lessons! I laughed out loud when I received the email above from a local tennis pro sharing his sorrow at having to cancel programs for the foreseeable future. "How can it?" I asked myself, thinking about how wrapped up in the sport my life had become. True to form, however, he put everything in perspective: His truth hit home! I had to ask myself, how was I using my time? Before the word "virus" became an everyday utterance, the word "tennis" was just as common in my house. As in, "Where's Mom?" "She's at tennis." Or, "I've got tennis." Or, "Who wants to play tennis?" Or, "I've got to leave chur...

Tired of a news cycle that relentlessly reports on real-time statistics and worst-case scenarios? Me, too. As someone whose day job necessitates keeping on top of healthcare developments, it's become a tad soul-crushing to report on how the coronavirus is impacting society. Thankfully it's not all doom and gloom. As is humanity's wont, we tend to pull together in times of duress, lifting one another up with acts of charity and encouragement, amplifying good deeds so that "going viral" takes on an entirely new meaning. Perhaps, like me, you've read about pop-up prayer circles around local hospitals. I've read about at least four of these in the last week, many in my area. It's wonderful to realize that our healthcare workers are being prayed for in this way. Perhaps you've seen posts about people leaving face masks, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer outside their front doors for delivery folks, or in their mailboxes for their mail carriers...

It's a strange time. Shelter-at-home, social distancing, self-quarantine ... these words and phrases seem so alien and yet they're now part of the national lexicon. Communities have become virtual. Friendships have become endangered as we retreat into our bubbles of isolation. It's as if society as we know it has gone into hiding, preparing for the worst and yet hoping for the best. Like many families, this pandemic has prompted mine to take a long, hard look at just how prepared we are for an extended stay at home. My husband has often boasted that he could help us ride out any storm - or apocalypse - with his prepper skills. I've told him that now is his time to shine. He was born for such a time as this! And he has embraced the challenge with gusto, with his first project being the creation of a prepper pantry in our basement. (His second, in progress now, is clearing brush from behind our house to create raised beds for planting.) By true prepper standards, I...

Spring has sprung, and with it have come thick blankets of pollen, the annual nesting of our favorite thrasher family under the eaves of our back deck, and copious amounts of cherry blossoms – that ephemeral bloom that has inspired ceremonies and celebrations around the world for millennia. In Japan, where they are recognized as a national flower, cherry blossoms are (according to Wikipedia) seen as “an enduring metaphor for the ephemeral nature of life,” and their “exquisite beauty and volatility” make them apt for artistic allusions to mortality. I get it – probably more than any Wikipedia editor realizes. The blooming of our two cherry blossom trees is one of my favorite things about spring. At their peak, they look like clouds come down to earth, snowflakes dancing in the slightest of breezes. But that beauty lasts only for a few weeks, and then comes the volatility. What was once beautiful becomes a constant irritant. Their petals get ... Continue reading here .