It’s October in Blacksburg and it’s been raining for hours. A passing car splatters water on the asphalt. I hear dripping through the barely-open window. The dogwoods are scarlet, the oak and redbuds turn yellow, and maple crowns have begun to color like apple cheeks ripening from green to red. While the autumn day hangs … Continue reading Brown-throated parakeet
I decided last week to write more. I am in the habit of journaling for myself, and I also wanted to get back in the habit of doing prompted free writes, and blogging, and I also want to really, truly, for real this time transcribe all my old journals. That’s a lot of different kinds … Continue reading Writing More Means Doomscrolling Less
Thursday August 6, 20207:28 amAtlantic Beach, NC Yesterday was a perfect day. I woke at 6:00 and went for a run; I borrowed my son’s earbuds (which he threw out into the hallway for me so I could get them in the morning while he slept) and listened to a new playlist while I ran … Continue reading Body surfing and other vacation bliss
Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 7:54 amThe morning after Tropical Storm IsaiasAtlantic Beach, NCWeather: sunny, windy During the day yesterday, I was happy we came on vacation, despite Tropical Storm Isaias. This morning, I’m glad we came. But last night, as the storm passed through in the dark of night, I was scared. When the wind … Continue reading Vacationing through a tropical storm on the North Carolina coast
Writing on the beach The surf in front of me, just 50 feet away, curls gently into white froth. It crashes, swishes, sighs, then effervesces in iridescent foam bubbles. The wind is from the southwest, from the sea. I feel it on my right collarbone; it dries the sweat from my run. Seagulls cry. Beachcombers … Continue reading Vignettes from Atlantic Beach
When I clean my fountain pens, my favorite part is when I first dip the nib in a bowl of clean water. As soon as the tip of the ink-drenched metal touches the water’s surface, swirls of color enter the pool. The coils of ink remain distinct from the clear water for long enough to … Continue reading Currents coil
