Some years ago, I attended a panel discussion composed of various artists talking about their careers. One of the panelists was a man named David Carroll. A New Hampshire resident, David is an American naturalist, author of six books, and illustrator who had just received a MacArthur Grant after more than 30 years of painstaking work where he made barely enough money to survive. In talking about his life as an artist, he spoke words I have never forgotten: “You just hope you get a break before it breaks you.” Needless to say, it resonated. [Read more…] about Lessons from a Navy Hero
Tricia Rose Burt
Upgrading My Life
Last December, I wanted to hear a little music while I did the dishes, but for some reason, our Sonos player wasn’t working. Sonos is a wireless music system my husband bought, which is great when it actually works. The system plays music stored on your iPod or your iPhone — no more CDs. If it were up to me, I’d still be playing records instead of relying on Wi-Fi, but I surrender to these technological times and operate Sonos with my iPhone. I couldn’t figure out why the Sonos suddenly wasn’t behaving, and I thought maybe it was because I hadn’t yet downloaded my iPhone’s new operating system. So I downloaded the new operating system and the Sonos player still didn’t work and now I could barely read my iPhone because the new system was apparently designed for 20-year-olds who can still see close up, which I haven’t been able to do in years. [Read more…] about Upgrading My Life
Grooming the Next Generation
I didn’t turn out like my mother expected. And for several years as she watched me make choices she didn’t understand or agree with, Mama was confused, sad, and sometimes a little angry. Mostly, though, she was just worried and scared for me, which can happen when you love someone fiercely. [Read more…] about Grooming the Next Generation
One for the Birds
As most of you know, I’m married to an expert birder, Eric Masterson. This can have its comic moments (for instance, bats given sanctuary in our home) and its poignant moments as well, where my husband helps me realize just how resilient but fragile these beautiful winged creatures are, particularly during migratory season. His most recent newspaper column was so important, I wanted to share it with you. The article starts out sad, but ends with action we can all take to make a difference.
How Wonderful is That!
If you have not yet seen this video on starling murmurations (which I think is my new favorite word), you are in for an amazing 4 minutes. Birdwatching husband Eric had shown me similar images, but my friend Ted just sent me this link saying, “…you will be blown away. I think you will be particularly uplifted by the soul-based exuberance of the narrator.” He was right. Enjoy!
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