Even though our yard is small, we are blessed with many live oaks in it, which Great Horned Owls seem to love.  Sometimes we hear one hooting at night outside our second-floor bedroom window.  Often, it is answered by another owl across the creek, in the distance.  Some might

Occurrences 1- Silent Witnesses One morning in June I was walking on the route that takes me past ball fields, beside a creek, and into a city park.  Along the way, there is an elaborate memorial for a police officer who was murdered while making a routine traffic stop in that

“Be still and know that I am God…”  This quote from the Hebrew book of Psalms (the 46th psalm, in fact) must not be well-regarded.  We scroll our Blackberries, text, drive, work out, work, network, over-work, study, chill with a bottle, cruise, organize,

Am I “trying to do too much?”  Am I “being lazy?”  Am I “slow?”  Am I “too rushed and careless?”  Am I “smart?”  Am I “stupid?”  These are questions that our teenaged selves asked and tried to answer.  Most

When I was a young girl, I dreamed of growing up to be a surgeon- a brain surgeon.  I had observed people enough to know that the way individuals perceive events, interpret social interactions, and reason solutions to problems varies widely, and some even seem to be functioning

Emergency! Alone, Together Starting when it was just a newly-hatched community free-food-pantry, I have been volunteering for an organization of university-area churches called Micah 6, named after the passage from the book of Micah regarding what it is God requires of us.  The

Almost every day I walk through my neighborhood to a bridge over Barton Creek from which I can look down and scrutinize the animals and plants below.  I count the turtles, watch fish, and admire the water fowl.  I feel satisfied when I see a snapping turtle beneath the surface

A couple of winters ago my husband and I had the opportunity to visit three cities in China, one being Shanghai.  It was in rainy, cold, snowy January, certainly not tourist season, and most faces on the streets were Asian.  After a few days of exploring the city on foot, I had

Two days ago was check-up day at the vet for our three cats.  Of course, they sensed trouble in advance, so I had to try to outsmart their tiny brains with food.  I had three cats, three cat carriers, three soft blankets, and three snacks in a room with its two doors firmly

This is the first panel of a triptych entitled “The Story of Nola Watters”.  Each panel measures 12″ x 12″.  Carnivale (Mardi Gras) is the season of wild abandon that precedes the introspective season of Lent.  It has a long history in Europe, and like a