Category: Uncategorized

Astonished

“We were made and set here, the writer Annie Dillard once wrote, "to give voice to our astonishments."  The word “astonish” comes from two ancient words “ex” and “tonare”.  The word “ex” meant “out of” and “tonare” meant “thunder.”  In other words, (literally, in other words!) astonish means to be as one might...

Giggles

If Kai-the-dog were able to speak, I think he would giggle.  Labs seem to have a giggle inside them. I have never met a Greyhound, for example, that seemed to be stifling a giggle and yet Labs seem to be doing it all the time. When he sleeps his little...

the little classroom

“Let me tell you this: if you meet a loner, no matter what they tell you, it's not because they enjoy solitude. It's because they have tried to blend into the world before, and people continue to disappoint them.” Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper At this time of year, I...

The Serpent’s Tail

A wreath made from beach findings on Friday Harbor on San Juan Island here, in Puget Sound, in the Salish Sea. Toward the end of the 16th century, a word was coined from the root word “wer” meaning to twist or bend from which the word “wreath” came.  It was...

Living life in the present moment

the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island You are going to die. In Bhutan they say that contemplating death five times a day brings happiness.  When I was told about this by a friend this week, I was unconvinced.  It sounds macabre.  It sounds depressing.  It sounds morose. ...

Finding

These days, as I age and slow down a bit, I am finding myself less and less inclined to rush past precious things in search of many or impressive or self-anesthetizing things.  I am letting go of things like board membership, speaking engagements, impressive job titles and things like …well...

The shell and the red balloon

Shahnit's Shell When I moved to an island in the Salish Sea, a friend gave me some shells he had found on a beach one day.  We agreed that I would spend some time with them and, in time, find some shells and agate stones here on this island, and...

Purring

New Mexico Sunset glaze, cascading, Cone 6, Oxidation, Stoneware, 2018 The constellations of colors created by just two glazes on this urn – one poured over the other – in this few inches tell me everything I need to know about that entity we call “God.”  The sister vase to...

lights and chocolate

Epiphany This is one of my recent works for the Weyrich Art Gallery in Albuquerque.  It is called “Epiphany” for the star in the midnight blue of the seasons of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany - seasons of longing, labor and brightness.  It is stoneware in a Blue Orion glaze with...