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Page 5 of 21

What gives you a sense of awe? That word, awe—the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your understanding of the world—is often associated with the extraordinary. Yo...

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Deep shadows of a late afternoon sun followed me as I slowly ambled around, leisurely taking pictures of centuries-old live oaks scattered across the property.  I particularly like to catch the s...

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I had of a brief phone conversation earlier today with my younger brother, who was clearly exasperated into sullenness by my immediate jokiness and corny conviviality. I do like to joke around ...

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A few weeks ago we had three days in succession of the coldest weather I can ever remember since I’ve lived here on the coast of South Carolina. That cold spell did horrific damage to our plants...

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Mortality. After a certain stage in life (for me it was retirement and turning 70), my focus seemed to turn like a laser beam to all the health matters that I was suddenly aware of, but had hard...

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… Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders, like the blue sky, the sunshine, the eyes of a baby. To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders o...

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The cost of college is a cruel joke these days, and has been for some time. It makes indentured servants of students beholden to the usury of lenders, and thus graduates are permanently in debt p...

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 …It’s not as if I believe that everything works together to bring us to a particular predestined point.  But I do believe that everything we experience can be seen as related, if we are open to ...

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A few nights ago for the second night in a row, we had temperatures well below freezing. At 18 degrees it was a record, or near record low. We rarely ever have cold like that here in Charleston,...

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I’m watching the skies outside my window alternate between thick overcast and emerging light. I love the anticipation. Suddenly it’s sunny out. I feel my spirits lifting. I keep turning to look o...

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They’re nothing so entrancing and memory-filled as historic 18th and 19th century homes lit up and decorated for Christmas. This holiday season I’ve ventured into the old downtown Charleston n...

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I will probably steam some broccoli tonight and open a can of tuna. Plus, some leftover canned stewed okra and tomatoes and a slice of 100 percent whole wheat bread with raspberry jam. For desser...

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When I first started an online journal back in 1998, I wrote a lot of reminiscences that first year about growing up. Now, looking back, I feel I have told a lot of my story through the type of “...

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My woods are only about forty rods from my door and I have traced and retraced the familiar trails almost daily for many years, yet every walk brings new experiences and fresh revelations.   But...

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It occurs to me tonight that most of my feelings, emotions, and memories brought back by an account of a solo road trip adventure nearly 40 years ago in the summer of 1984, have been chastened by...

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There is enchantment right in front of you, waiting for you to notice. Janet Luhrs It’s a fact that for years now I’ve become overly sensitive to the goings-on at my favorite park where I someti...

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Garden experts all over the world agree that Charleston, South Carolina’s greatest treasure, foremost of even its historical and architectural attractions, is Magnolia Gardens AAA Motorist, 1983 ...

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Thinking back, we remember that as children a day seemed to last for a long time, more like the way we experience a month now. A year was so long there was no end to it. Gradually our perception ...

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…Before a winter storm at night, clouds passed, Filtering the full moons translucence, Pushed by winds that touch the earth with chill, Filling the night with expectancy… From a poem I wrote in...

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The older I grow, the more I distrust the familiar doctrine that age brings wisdom H.L. Mencken There are many wise young people, but they are marginalized as “old souls.” You all of a sudden r...

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Old man, your head bowed down,
 the sun beams wisely 
 but the long shadows frown. 
 They walk across the ground
 by the cut-over field
 where the leaves play chimes
 in the wind this time. The d...

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One of the surest signs of the debasement and rejection of civility today is the ceaseless, deliberate proliferation of noise in our society. We are bombarded by it constantly: Loud TVs; trucks;...

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Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick...

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The air has been cool and crisp. Autumn has fully descended, and I love the memories and associations of this time of year. I like to eat pumpkin muffins and honey crisp apples. I walk out ...

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I’ve always believed in experiencing everything in life. When you walk out with blinders on, you cut yourself off from the angels and the fairies. Alyssa Milano Watch with glittering eyes the wh...

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