Singing Along the Journey

Author: @susansevier

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More

March 21, 2020: The Question’s Answer

And good morning to you (a little late, I know, but there were waffles to make). Greetings from the Anacostia River Trail. #loveinthetimeofcovid #thesebootsweremadeforwalkin Looking back (July 9, 2021): And this was the answer to Joy's question. We walked along the river. It felt very risky to go walk along the river; in some places the sidewalks were narrow...it required leaving the "safe" zone that we had established for ourselves. But it was such a blessing to see something other than buildings. And to see the wide sky. And to see the birds and smell the watery air. These were days of great gratitude for the years of work that…
Read More

March 21, 2020: Question of the Day

And good morning. Where will we walk today, huh, Mom? #lifewithjoy2020 #loveinthetimeofcovid #beaglesofinstagram — in Capitol Hill. Looking back (July 9, 2021): I can see that, by now, this had become the question of the day. Walking around the neighborhood was the only activity that we had. Most days I walked alone, but on weekends, we tried to walk as a household. Joy couldn't believe her good luck, because, up until now, I would have been going to the gym instead. A walk with the three of us was, for her, very exciting. All we could think about though was keep moving, get out of the house. The answer to the question "where"…
Read More

March 20, 2020: Strike Up the Band

One of the great things about Capitol Hill is, well, we have our own cherry blossoms. Everywhere. So good morning from me and from my neighbor Mr. John Phillip Sousa...hang in there and notice the good things in your life if you can. #loveinthetimeofcovid #cherryblossoms #strikeuptheband Looking Back: June 14, 2021. I remember this day, vividly. Nothing was intentional in my act of taking a picture and posting it on social media, at least not in the beginning. Taking pictures was just my way of keeping myself moving...if I was looking at my surroundings, I would keep walking and I wouldn't give up on my exercise. Going to the gym was so ingrained…
Read More

March 18, 2020: Beginnings

Like all of us, I am dealing with this weird pandemic world the best I can. Walking through fog, waiting, wondering...these are the things that await us each morning when we rise. Some people are drinking a lot of coffee. I've been wandering around the neighborhood looking at flowers and birds. For these past days, as my morning trip to the health club has been replaced (unintentionally, I might add) with this ever lengthening morning search for signs of life, I've started taking a picture or two and sharing it on social media with an occasionally pithy comment. And now, I've decided to capture these musings for "posterity" as part…
Read More

Called to remember…

This weekend, thanks to the inspired invitation and loving encouragement of my friend Martha Burford at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington, VA, I had the opportunity to step back into two parts of my life long dormant -- singing and preaching.  It was a healing time for me -- if you will keep reading, you will understand what I mean when I say that I had a chance to repair a breach of my own.  I will be forever grateful. The following words are my word about the Word, offered on February 9, 2020, at Grace Episcopal Church in Lexington.  Thank you to Martha and to all the people at…
Read More

At least two in one, more likely, one in many…

Can you have a Dorothy experience and a Grinch experience in the same moment and the same place?  Well, I just did.  What a weekend it was at the Awakening Soul gathering in Asheville, NC. For those who might not share my cultural context, let me explain.  By a Dorothy experience, I am referring to that moment in the great story of the Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, when Dorothy, our heroine, wakes up at home after her long journey of trials and adversity and friendship.  By a Grinch moment, I refer to interestingly again, the end of the main character's journey of transformation (at least, the end…
Read More

I had a plan this weekend…

I had a plan this weekend.  My experience is that these are dangerous words, and this weekend's result was no different. I thought that the plan was simple.  For weeks, I have been culling my closet for items that could have  a better, more useful home.  This was not a general pull and pitch -- I was gathering clothing to go to the group Suited for Change, an organization of women who lift up other women by providing them with office-suitable clothing at the moment they most need it, the moment when they take that step from recovery of any kind into the world of work.  I knew that I…
Read More

Grief and joy too personal for words…

If you have a minute, I would like to tell you a story.  It is my story to tell, and, I thought that I had told it.  But we cannot tell what we ourselves do not understand, even though we are in the midst of living it, no matter how many words we use. Let me begin with the punchline.  Healing, my friends, is not over when our bodies have knit themselves together after an accident or a treatment of some kind.  Healing may be the most powerful word-metaphor for the whole human condition, because, after all, isn't that really what most of us seek with each and every breath?…
Read More

September, days of heat and remembrance…

The sun is just barely showing pink between the buildings across the street, so I don't know yet if the sky will be that frightening clear blue color today.  It was, that day, and the day after. It is a color and a clarity that I apparently cannot forget.  That kind of blue, to this day, makes me shudder with remembrance. And just like another day long ago, I am up early, suited in my workout clothes, ready to head to the gym, because I have a long list of things to "accomplish" today.  I do not need to drive to Baltimore as then; today it is emails and getting…
Read More