This is the first rainy Sept. 11. On the day that terrorists attacked us, the weather was almost heartbreakingly beautiful.

The first anniversary of the day was windy - as if the ghosts of the dead breathed their presence to us.

Today's rain will make it easy to bow our heads and remember all those we lost six years ago.

Let's honor them by holding those we love close to us. Call your parents; hug your partner; kiss your children; give the pet an extra treat.

God bless you all... Continue Reading

Permalink Comments (View)

I miss the outdoors!

Last summer, my then 14-year-old son Cormac and I got a Capital District Community Gardens plot. All that bright sun, all that fertile soil! We jokingly called it "the collective" and went cheerfully to work, planting tomatoes, cukes, pumpkins, and heading down to tend it a few evenings a week.

In truth, it was a healing time, since the garden is right next to a dog park. Our beloved hound had just died that May and we spent a lot of time talking about her, about past dogs we've known, about when we might get another dog, about life and death, about the different dogs we saw. I was reminded again of a friend's advice to get shoulder-to-shoulder with sons; to get them walking or working and they might start talking... Continue Reading

Permalink Comments (View)