The Moon, tides, awe, and support
This week we visited the Bay of Fundy, where the Atlantic Ocean punches in between Eastern Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia. The tides vary by nearly forty feet at full or new moon.
Horse shoe crab season
Each May between the full and new moons, these ancient appearing creatures crawl out of the bay to mate in the sand at the water’s edge. The crabs carve circuitous trails in the sand . . .
Celebrating summer
Summer is in full bloom here on Narragansett Bay. It is a lovely time to celebrate nature, the utter beauty and awe
Reminders
There is a lot to be sad about in the world, the US, and my personal sphere. . . I am guessing you may have similar tales these days.
Tis the season of gratefulness…
I am thankful for all that I take for granted:
Living in a war-free area of the US. My recent 2 months in Nablus, Palestine, reminded me of the gift of not hearing drones and military planes flying overhead night and day. And to live in a US neighborhood where I am not afraid.
Mental health stigma (and more)
. . . is still present. A 9th grade student I am caring for in the school clinic was clearly depressed. Her PHQ-9 scored in the teens. She is sleeping on her aunt's couch as she attends a new school this year, having switched every year or two. Her mom who is homeless sees her routinely, but told her not to take the anti-depressant medication I prescribed…
Celebrating Gratitude
Tough times continue. Another variant of COVID19 has appeared in Africa. The pandemic marches on and on. The political divisions feel sharper with narrowing options for middle ground.
Thursday was Thanksgiving, a traditional celebration of colonialism coming to this continent. The alternative names are Indigenous Peoples day or Native American Heritage day. Will there always be the victors and the…
Ugliness begets beauty
Skunk cabbage smells like its name, but has a deep purple spotted leaf-like flower and gives rise to something that looks like Romaine lettuce--some of the first greens of the spring in damp areas. Spring is here.
Ground Hog Day
Remember the movie—Bill Murray trapped in an endless loop. February 2nd has come and gone and I can never remember if winter continues, or if spring will come sooner if the groundhog sees its shadow. Regardless, the Covid winter is here to stay.
There are reports of the four vaccine breakthrough cases in Oregon, and in New Zealand, which has been a model country in managing the pandemic, shows a rise in cases. The growing mutations of Covid-19 are worrisome, as is the current thought that the vaccine’s protection fade…