A couple of late summers ago, Jeter and I were on our usual walk around the Normanskill Farm. We had wandered down the yellow brick road and the trail near the creek, made our way up the gravel road and looped around to where the path divided the bountiful community garden from the kill. The … Continue reading Red dahlias of hope
Category: politics
Ive
…been walking on this gorgeous day, covering nearly xx miles between a morning loop in the Pine Bush with friends and a late afternoon lap to the Normanskill Farm and home again with Jeter. Without exception, the air felt warm and the sun bright and I’m really glad to have been able to spend my … Continue reading Ive
How does one plan a national walkout?
We’re living in a country where the Republican vice presidential candidate believes that school shootings are a fact of life in contemporary American society. The answer, of course, is more guns because schools (and concert venues and churches and grocery stores and movie theaters and shopping malls and…) are “soft targets” which need to be … Continue reading How does one plan a national walkout?
Starting the school year off with a bang
Just another day in America yet, somehow, since it’s the day before my students return to their classrooms after summer break, the latest school shooting in the United States is hitting me hard. Why do we tolerate this? Why do we allow our government to do nothing? Why have we given organizations like the NRA … Continue reading Starting the school year off with a bang
Coming in for a (bumpy) landing
Arriving back at home from an extended vacation comes with a lot of mixed emotions. While there is excitement to be reunited with one’s beloved people and pets, as well as the comfort of one’s own home, there are other more complicated feelings. Knowing that after months of planning and anticipation, the big trip is … Continue reading Coming in for a (bumpy) landing
Recent realizations and impressions
We can all agree that travel is life changing, can’t we? Observing, and even participating in, life in locations away from home can be the impetus to expand one’s understanding of humankind and settings beyond our own. When I’m traveling alone, I often find myself taking mental notes of things I find interesting or enlightening. … Continue reading Recent realizations and impressions
Fussing and fighting
There’s no escaping the reach of American politics these days and flying thousands of miles away is not sufficient distance to feel removed. It’s a crazy time and, during our time in Italy, one of the first questions we’ve gotten, delivered in the most hesitant and polite manner, is wtf is going on in America? … Continue reading Fussing and fighting






