When You’re a Stranger
Where did I come from and who am I? Do typical people expend much time on these questions, or is it just me and a handful of other narcissists? I actually am genuinely interested in those big questions, perhaps, most…
A Happy Marriage
My husband and kids seldom miss an opportunity to crack a joke about my relationship with time. If you asked one of them, they’d probably say that time and I have long been separated. I see things differently and prefer…
Never Underestimate the Importance of Good Editing
I still cover up much of my old artwork, especially in art journals. Sometimes, the inclination stems from the little voice in my head saying, “You’re doing it wrong.” Sometimes, a page doesn’t need to be completely covered up; it…
Worming into Our Consciousness
Since I seldom seem able to go forward without shifting into reverse first, I am approaching a new post by looking at an old one—as a matter of fact, the first post here at The Ruff Draft. On August 11,…
Let the Night Be Too Dark
At most he thinks or twitters softly, “Safe!Now let the night be dark for all of me.Let the night be too dark for me to seeInto the future. Let what will be, be.” —Robert Frost Living in day-tight compartments is…
Settling In with the Quiet Sounds
Items continue to pile up on my desk and in my mind. I recently went to TJ Maxx to see if I could find a suitable inbox, but there was nothing that would hold my entire studio. Of course, the…
This Milky Way of Souls
I have been reading The Road to Vatican II by Maureen Sullivan, OP, in two ways these past few weeks. Sister Maureen was one of my professors in college, and I’m glad I went ahead and bought this book, as…
Dark Days
Here we are, just about smack dab in the middle of July, with the heat of the furnace warming the house and rain filling the sky, washing the earth, and muttering steadily in my ears. Growing up, I loved summer.…
Glum
Yesterday, after Andi died, I changed the background image on my computer to the one seen here. I love that shot of her, with those beautiful, soulful eyes, but I wasn’t quite ready when I woke my computer this morning,…
One Traveler
Perhaps these words from Bishop Kenneth Untener (as shared by Maureen Sullivan, OP) in her book, The Road to Vatican II, are good openers for some thoughts. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise…
A Placeholder
Summer is not my favorite season. The hives here and there on my body sometimes threaten my sanity. Arms, torso, neck, legs: one or two here, seven or eight there. Why have they appeared? Why do they stick around and…
Obstacle Course
How many roadblocks in my life were set up by me? It’s easy to blame friends, family (especially, family), institutions, God, just about anyone and everyone, except the person gazing back from the glass. Easy, though, seldom leads anywhere worthwhile.…
