“Remove not the ancient landmark” (Proverbs 23:10) Until recently, the alignment of these chimneys and their mossy roof with the chimney shaped lighthouse in the bay beyond had always been a landmark that caught my imagination. The old chimney is gone! Torn down. Now it has become a reminder of how time may shift ourContinue reading “Changing Landmarks”
Tag Archives: ocean
Full Sails
July is a great month for sailing in Maine. Watching sails appear and disappear on the horizon makes one yearn for swift winds and stiff breezes, to hoist sails, and to be propelled into open ocean with its invisible boundaries, clear horizons, distant skies, and the mysterious deep. The forces that compel usContinue reading “Full Sails”
Slack Tide
Oddly enough, this canoe facing a setting sun reminds me of two people, my grandmother Viola Bancroft Preble (1886-1973) and Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892). They never met but briefly were contemporaries! My grandmother loved to read his poetry to us when we were children. One might question the appropriateness of reading The Charge of theContinue reading “Slack Tide”
Paddle Your Own Canoe
The phrase to “paddle your own canoe” has been around since the mid 1800’s and conjures up ideas of independence, self-reliance, persistence, endurance and the belief that we control our own destiny! Several poems were written and entitled “Paddle Your Own Canoe”. Sarah Bolton’s contained an often partially quoted verse: Voyager upon life’s sea,To yourselfContinue reading “Paddle Your Own Canoe”
The Way forward
The way forward is often uncertain and rarely takes a straight line. Sometimes, we are fine with the routine, the boring, and small pleasures. Sometimes, we long for the sun to brighten the way ahead! But all the time, there are questions lurking about, shrouded in the deep, foggy crevices of our minds. We desireContinue reading “The Way forward”
Safety in Troubled Waters
Life is unpredictable. There is beauty and joy but also darkness and sorrow. Sometimes our reality is external chaos and inner turmoil as we deal with human tragedies and conundrums that leave us discouraged, frustrated, anxious, angry, or fearful. When we are buffeted and battered by difficult, sad, and trying times, we need encouragement andContinue reading “Safety in Troubled Waters”
Solitude and Solace
Even the extroverts among us need solitude (even in a pandemic) — a time and place free for uninterrupted thought and meditation, for processing life, for resting weary minds and reviving waning spirits, and for re-energizing tired bodies. Calmness and refreshment may be found behind a door which shuts out our universe for aContinue reading “Solitude and Solace”
And the Winner is…..
We are born contenders! Most of us enjoy some form of individual or group competition. We love to cheer on our favorite teams and challenge each other with family games, pickup basketball, and school sports. We test ourselves in attempts to better our individual swim and running times, to improve our golf game, tennis swingContinue reading “And the Winner is…..”
A break in the Storm
When I was around ten years old, our small Church had a Junior Choir consisting of seven or eight “kids”. We were quite angelic in our little, white robes as we sang joyfully and with great gusto during Sunday Worship Service. I still remember the refrain of one of those songs: “The Storms may comeContinue reading “A break in the Storm”
Mending
These men are reminders of our need to periodically assess our lives. We’re all broken in some way, but we’re not good at pondering or seeking to repair the fraying fabric of our lives. We regularly service our cars and lawn mowers, and toys, check out our financials, and schedule our annual physicals exams. ButContinue reading “Mending”
Sweet Words from Maine 