In my Creative Nonfiction class, our first assignment was to take some bland imagery and rewrite it to paint a picture or fix a camera lens on the subject. This was my first attempt: We were given: A beautiful view And I wrote: She threw open the slider and stepped onto the rough-hewn balcony, inhaling … Continue reading Spirit & Creativity
postaweek
Bran Flakes & Sweet Treasures
Cereal comes up more than one might think in my blog considering how very seldom I eat it. I like cereal, but not for breakfast, when I’m craving protein, not starch. And with a family, it is rare to get away with just having a bowl of cereal for dinner. But this morning I was … Continue reading Bran Flakes & Sweet Treasures
First Step on a Writing Odyssey
So the rubber meets the road today as I submit a character sketch of my mother for a creative nonfiction class I am taking. This tiny 300-word essay is the first piece I have written for public consumption in a memoir of my life told through my parents’ accounts of their lives. Just over a … Continue reading First Step on a Writing Odyssey
I heard a Fly buzz…
…everywhere. Much apology to Emily Dickinson and her lovely poem, "I heard a Fly buzz—when I died," but this is now one of my great fears: I will never escape all the buzzing and instead will die and still have houseflies buzzing in my final resting place. It is really hot in Savannah and my … Continue reading I heard a Fly buzz…
Summer Vacation
Tonight I make the turn to go home after sixteen days away from Savannah and my family. I’ve really enjoyed this trip but absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. I miss my husband and son and am so excited to see them, I refuse to be daunted by holiday traffic. Even in stop … Continue reading Summer Vacation
The Power of Other People’s Prayers
You may be more familiar with Reiki than I am. My only experience before today was at a health fair at my college reunion about 20 years ago. What I remember is that none of my college friends were willing to try it – they went off for chair massages, I think. But I was … Continue reading The Power of Other People’s Prayers
Davy & Goliath
Today I preached for my husband who is leading a Middle School workshop on Spiritual Photography at Montreat’s Worship & Music Week in North Carolina. I did a monologue instead of a typical sermon and one of the members of his congregation asked me to “publish” it. She’s a regular reader of my blog, so … Continue reading Davy & Goliath
Embrace the Mountain
Recently I was listening to a webinar on next steps and the leader suggested that we close our eyes and envision the path before us. Now generally I am not a visualization kind of person. I often lead these kinds of exercises because it is so valuable for many people to “see” something in order … Continue reading Embrace the Mountain
It’s Finally Here!
That day I have been waiting for is finally here. MaryAnn McKibbon Dana’s book God, Improv and the Art of Living has been released and is available for sale on Amazon and Barnes & Noble (or wherever fine books are sold, I suppose). I highly recommend that if you want to be challenged and have … Continue reading It’s Finally Here!
Letting Go
As I sat in prayer today, two words arose again and again – a command, in fact, direct from the Divine. “Let go!” So my initial reaction was to hold on even more tightly. Does this ever happen to you? Sometimes it is in my spiritual life, but often it’s just in everyday living – … Continue reading Letting Go
Openings: Let the Spirit in 