I grew up listening to my mother practice her strong, high soprano at the piano in our living room. When I was in middle school, we stood side by side in the church pew, singing “It Is Well with My Soul.” She pointed me to the alto line, and I stumbled through it. So began … read
Truth be told, this is not my favorite parable. I find it both annoying and ominous, if a parable can be both of those things at the same time. I find it annoying because there is something about women being called foolish that does not sit well with me. As I looked at some of … read
A few months ago, the husband of one of my college friends died. She shared these words of Shakespeare, from Romeo and Juliet, and I find them so beautiful. “… and when he shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars, And he will make the face of heaven so fine That … read
In 1892, Ellis Island became the reception center for new immigrants to our country. In 1892, John Muir founded the Sierra Club. In 1892, Homer Plessy refused to go to a segregated rail car, which led to a lawsuit from which we inherited the idea of “separate but equal.” In 1892, the towns of Albina … read
It all began with Cassini. A few weeks ago, the Cassini space probe, having ended its twenty-year mission, changed its path orbiting the planet Saturn, sent itself into the planet’s atmosphere and burned itself up. It was an extraordinary mission by all accounts, this joint effort of American and European space programs. Cassini gave us … read