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MY FRIEND HERMAN AND A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE TO SIMPLICITY I was soaking outside in my hot tub marveling at the layer of icy white frosting on the juniper trees when my friend, Herman, came to visit me again. He lit on the edge of the tub looking at me fearlessly and curiously. I have dubbed [...]
There are plenty of voices these days reminding us to “Be Here Now.” Ram Dass has a book by that title. There’s also Eckhart Tolle’s “The Power of Now,” Niel Fiore’s “The Now Habit,” and a host of other titles embracing presence and the moment. Now is an old idea. This past weekend, I led [...]
In Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter says to Alice, “You’re not paying attention, and if you don’t pay him, you know he won’t perform.” This quote sums up why I am a practicing poet. Because it’s easy to not pay attention. It’s easy to get caught up in our agendas (especially during holiday time) [...]
It’s raining here in central Oregon. For those of you who are not familiar with the variety of ecozones in this amazing state, and envision pictures of drippy green, mossy temperate rain forests or craggy coastline when you think of Oregon you might be thinking, ‘that woman has an acute grasp of the obvious…’. But [...]
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, erstwhile new blogger on the Virtual Tea House has published a handsome book, just in time for Christmas. Celebration: More Christmas Angels Available from Amazon.com or Red Rock Press Amazon Editorial Review: This brief, delightful history of Christmastime angels looks at the depiction of their gossamer loveliness–from their halos to the tips [...]
I suspect he may have changed a little, but what’s really changed is my perception of him. When he whisked that calico cat away from me fifteen years ago, and said as he was turning his back, “She needs an enema, call me this afternoon,” I was stunned. No further explanation, no chance to say [...]
I haven’t ironed anything in 3 years. I don’t even own a real iron–only a travel version. Even having one of those cute fold-down ironing boards in my cottage won’t entice me to iron my clothes–and I have to tell you that I like linen in the summer! So how do I get my clothes [...]
Four More Magic Words and How To Use Them “No, Mommy!” says the three-year-old boy, bolting from bed. “You didn’t do it right. Start over.” Oh yeah. I have learned that for me, there is one magic word. Please. Of course. It works wonders. I will give the kid chocolate at bedtime if he says [...]
Ann Turner, blogger on the Virtual Tea House, has created another wonderful children’s book, Sitting Bull Remembers, illustrated by Wendell Minor. It takes the life of Sitting Bull from the end and works backwards, from his memories. “In this dark room, in this place of fences, strange smells, and men with yellow eyes where finally [...]
The Virtual Tea House is about engaging the spirituality of everday, ordinary life. This translates to ‘ya gotta play to win’. The ridiculous, the mundane, the boring, the unhappily gray-haired and maybe even not-nice parts of ourselves–the Asleep Ones want to have tea with those other parts of ourselves that we want to have front [...]
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