"Testing, testing ... 1 - 2 - 3." "This is a test of the Patchwork Journey Broadcast Network. Do not adjust your screen or volume. This is just a test. " "I have the results of your lab tests." "Students, for today's test, I need you to remove your books from your desktops and get out a number 2 pencil." Do students even have text books anymore? Do they sit at desks when school is in session? And seriously, would they have any idea what a number 2 pencil was? I am so out of the loop Continue Reading
A *Ream of Writers
I took a quick glance into the dark van. Phew, I was the only passenger on the way home from the airport. I crawled into the back seat, hoping the shuttle driver couldn’t see me, because I wasn’t done laughing yet. I covered my mouth to subdue a squeal that might leak. My shoulders lurched and I had to scrounge for a Kleenex in my purse to wipe my eyes. Last week, I joined eight writer friends in Cincinnati for our own retreat. Poets, short story writers, bloggers, novelists, a Continue Reading
Ready at all times
Kathy and I recently returned from a two-week trip hop-scotching down the coast of Oregon, into the redwoods of northern California. From there, we drove to Hood River, Oregon to admire the Columbia River Gorge, before we landed in Portland for our last two nights. I anticipated writing a post about the dramatic scenery, the statuesque redwoods, and the 620 foot waterfall near the river. Oh sure, the coastline was as pretty as the travel magazines promised, the weather was better than we’d Continue Reading
The highs and lows of visiting Sequoia National Park
A visit to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park which sits adjacent to it, is an experience you won’t find elsewhere in the United States. Some of these trees are estimated to be more than 3000 years old, and at maturity, they are approx. 250 feet tall, roughly, the height of a twenty-five-story building, or 83 yards on a football field. Their circumference can measure 113 feet. It’s tempting to compare sequoias with redwoods as they grow taller, but it’s the sequoia’s girth that Continue Reading