For the Splendor of the Sky . . .* President Biden received his well-earned Lifetime Achievement Award with this caveat: "We are in dark times" in America. Dark times, especially, call for beauty. All we have to do is look up to the skies, and around us, to see that hope springs eternal. Cummer Museum of Art Garden Bald Eagle in the Sacred Tree *For the Beauty of the Earth https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4dNs6HtubA

Posse Comitatus: A group of people who are mobilized by the sheriff A 150-year-old United States Federal Law that: bars Federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement except when expressly authorized by law embodies an American tradition that sees military interference as a threat to democracy and personal liberty no constitutional exceptions That said, there are lots of loopholes as work arounds. History of the 1878 Act: passed after the end of Reconstruction

A good friend moved from Florida to go back home where the birds that he knows live. I get that. Birds define habitats by their sounds, and colors. I've been a birdwatcher for as long as I can remember. Whenever I changed habitats, I discovered birds for the first time. On Cape Cod, I was awed by the elegance of prehistoric herons in flight. I learned that Ospreys nesting on the towers had made a comeback from near extinction. Songbirds in my backyard woke me early in the mor

It is National Book Banned Week! Imagine that . . .or, don't imagine. That is the desired effect of banning books from readers like you...

When there are no words, turning to someone wiser helps. I share the sentiments expressed by Rabbi Rubenstein of Harvard University...

In my little town I grew up believing God keeps his eye on us all And he used to lean upon me As I pledged allegiance to the wall Lord, I...

This story has haunted me since fifth grade, the same year of my awakening to boys and the disruption that liking one brought to...

This was my first thought after crossing the Canadian border into the United States! Every other border crossing in the past felt like...

. This plaque is on the wall of the American Consulate in Quebec City. “With our thanks and remembrance: As the United States marks...

Or … “ I do ballrooms ”, said the President of the United States with a big slap across the face of Americans and the rest of the world....

A friend in England posted on Quora that she had been "walking on eggshells" for a long time with her American "MAGA" friend, but "not...

That's the question we are asking ourselves these days. Without a leader to lead, it is on us to figure out next steps. Sometimes looking...

for a short time this afternoon", said a good friend following a concert of the Florida Chamber Music Project*. While the comment and the...

At this crtical juncture in our American story, we find ourselves facing monumental consequences for our children, their children, and...

“ Of course you’re going to have your handful of politicians, a small group of activists and a lot of paid bots on social media trying to...

I chose this for my Christmas Eve blog because I believe this message delivered six months ago still stands. In another six months, if we...

Said the dark-eyed, dark-skinned woman. I had stopped into the bakery on the fly to see if perchance a savoury pie or two might be...

The theme for the 2025 pilgrimage is hope!     May 5 - 12, 2025                                Lady Julian of...

Come gather ’round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it that soon You’ll be...

Plant some. That is what George Orwell, famed author of that prescient "1984" futuristic book did in his own backyard. Those roses like...