Every time I go with my family to the coast to unwind and walk on the beach, I end up picking up trash. On the first day out, I’m always unprepared, and I return from my beach walk with pockets bulging with garbage. I don’t usually find huge pieces of trash, no old furniture,
They call me the Queen of Quince. That sounds a bit Seussical, but it is God’s truth. I cannot pass a quince tree with indifference or treat it with insouciance, nor can I waste even a single slice of its fruit. My friends and acquaintances know of my obsession, and every October they pick
All summer long I was terrified that my house would burn down, in fact, not just my house, but my whole town. Every day I scanned the weather reports, hoping against hope for rain. When I went on a trip, my husband had to stay home, in case of fire. He’d be home to
Emergencies make for an interesting and surprising journey. When I first heard that our town had declared a level 3 water emergency, meaning no outdoor watering at all, I went into my own emergency mode. I put buckets in the tubs and showers and sinks, declaring that no flush should occur with fresh water.
Yesterday we dug a grave for a much loved cat. She was hit by a car, and she was only five years old. She was a glorious creature, filling our garden refuge with her magic and playfulness, chasing butterflies, rolling around in the dirt, playing hide and seek with her squirrel friend. It seems
The entire west is on fire. Even Alaska is on fire. We recently had a heatwave in which we had temperatures of 115-118 F (121 in a Canada town, which promptly burned to the ground, killing many), in a cool temperate zone. Streets buckled in Portland, and vinyl siding melted off of houses. A friend in
From Hieroglyphic Stairway, by Drew Dillinger: “it’s 3:23 in the morning and I’m awake because my great great grandchildren won’t let me sleep my great great grandchildren ask me in dreams What did you do while the planet was plundered? What did you do when the earth was unraveling? surely you did something when
