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This mosaic shares its title with a novel by Pearl S. Buck.  In the novel, the farm fields are themselves one of the living characters.  Likewise, I am thinking here of the earth as an organism.  Served up on a plate, it could be a course to savor and appreciate, or one t

When I was very young I thought that what I saw today would be available for me to see tomorrow and next year and always.  I thought that the people I loved would be there tomorrow and next year and always.  I thought that the things I learned about the world would be permanently

A writer friend sent me a description of what happened when the world-class violinist, Joshua Bell, played with open violin case in a Washington, D C. metro station a couple of years ago.  He was playing Bach for solo violin, compositions unmatched for emotional and intellectual

I’ll tell you what I enjoy about the teenagers I know: 1)  They are curious about life and don’t take much for granted. 2)  They love to be helpful to those who need help. 3)  They enjoy being in touch with lots of members of the community, rich and poor, smart and

When I was in the car yesterday, I was listening to the evening news on National Public Radio, when “All Things Considered” came on with Ofeibea Quist-Arcton’s report on the September 28 massacre of pro-democracy protesters in Conacry, Guinea.  I had heard the

My Random House Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language says that the first definition of “Perverse” is “willfully determined or disposed to go counter to what is expected or desired”.  There are other meanings which are more negative, but I’m

We have all either heard it said, or have said it ourselves, “I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like.” This sounds a bit like admitting that we don’t know much about our favorite drinking buddy; what he is like as a husband and father, or son,

Richard Ryan, a professor of psychology, psychiatry and education at the University of Rochester, says, “We’ve found nature brings out more social feelings, more value for community and close relationships. People are more caring when they’re around nature.”  – a quote from

Until the federal government suddenly became interested in the wars between the drug cartels in the area, this seemed a completely ignored quarter of Mexico.  I made this painting after a church trip to Reynosa in the state of Tamaulipas.  Every year we go across the Texas border