Tag Archive for: Corona Virus

A Moss Walk–by T.K. Thorne

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Writer, humanist,
          dog-mom, horse servant and cat-slave,
       Lover of solitude
          and the company of good friends,
        New places, new ideas
           and old wisdom.

About 35 years ago, on a trip to Japan, I had the opportunity to visit a Buddhist monastery. I’m sure there were many beautiful objects there, but what has remained in my memory over all those years was a moss garden off a patio looking down the forested mountainside. Made of many different types and shades of moss, it was perfect, not a leaf, a stick or a non-moss plant disturbed the emerald carpet. “How does that happen?” I asked.

“It is tended by hand every morning,” was the reply. 

There is something about moss I find calming and, hence, I’m reluctant to clean it off the old bricks of our walkway. But it is far from perfect. Today, with the coronavirus raging through our world and lives, I decided to put on my monk hat and tend the walkway. It was very slow going because if you just rip out the plants growing in the moss, you rip out chunks of moss as well.  It usually requires two hands, one to hold down the moss and the other to gently extract the opportunist clump of grass or florae.

As I worked, I didn’t think about anything but the patch in front of me, getting satisfaction as each one cleared. I have no idea how long it took because it wasn’t about time.

I say I didn’t think about anything. Not quite true. It occurred to me—not for the first time—that in order to bring about my goal, I had to destroy what was not wanted. Moving toward what we want in life requires dedication, patience, and being willing to pull out the unwanted, even when its roots are wrapped deep.

T.K. is a retired police captain who writes BOOKS, which, like this blog, go wherever her interest and imagination take her. Want a heads up on news about her writing and adventures (and receive two free short stories)? Go HERE.  Thanks for stopping by!

Things Change

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Things Change

By Cathy Perkins
Hi there from New Mexico, where Covid-19 caught up to us and changed, well, everything. 

I hope you’re hanging in there as life changes moment by moment. I don’t know about you, but I feel thrown for a loop by a global pandemic that involves a virus which seems to have even the most learned scientists unsure what to expect next.

Things certainly have changed as a result, though! 

(That’s Dripping Springs in the picture.)

We’re lucky to be healthy, so our changes seem minor compared to what other people are facing. Our kids are working from home, but one son-in-law is a small business owner. He’s struggling to balance the needs of customers and employees, while maintaining financial stability in the chaos. 

Our bucket list trip to Ecuador with National Geographic has been cancelled and we have all our fingers and toes crossed that the rumored domestic travel lock-down doesn’t happen until after we get home tonight. Okay, that’s a bit selfish but after a week in a rented condo where everything in the region is closed, including even the state parks for taking a walk, I’m not sure how people are managing this for fourteen days!  

I don’t have any words of wisdom (other than wash your hands!). The only thing I can say is we’re all in this together. I may be an optimist, but I believe we’ll all hang in there and do the best we can. Keep everyone healthy and the medical community will have a chance to catch up and deal with the most serious cases. Grit and determination go a long way—and here’s hoping the grocery stores restock soon! 

How are you doing? Shoot me any suggestions I can use or that I can share with others. (Add it to the comments below!) 

If you’re sick of television, a group of authors got together and set up a heavily discounted sale (my Kindle has saved my sanity the past few days!). Go HERE


I included CYPHER, an award-winning  suspense that I’ve never put on sale before. Go here for CYPHER.




Blessings to all. Hang tough! 

An award-winning author of financial mysteries, Cathy Perkins writes twisting dark suspense and light amateur sleuth stories.  When not writing, she battles with the beavers over the pond height or heads out on another travel adventure. She lives in Washington with her husband, children, several dogs and the resident deer herd.  Visit her at http://cperkinswrites.com or on Facebook 

Sign up for her new release announcement newsletter in either place.

She’s hard at work on sequel to The Body in the Beaver Pond, which was recently presented with the Claymore Award.

Inspiration for Worrisome Times

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by
Paula Gail Benson
During
this time of uncertainty about the corona virus, it’s good to hear messages
that encourage. Yesterday’s reading from my worship service (although the
actual gathering was cancelled, the devotional materials were shared via email
and social media) is a particularly relevant passage to consider. From the book
of Romans, Chapter 5, Verses 3 through 5: “we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.”
The words
made me think about the situation the world now faces. The recommended
progression is a good path to follow. When confronted with suffering, we find
means to endure, which builds character and creates hope. And, hope is
uplifting, relieving us from the suffering.
As I
consider that process and realize it empowers us to deal with crisis, I can’t
help but notice that it also is what I expect of a good story: that I’ll
encounter fictional individuals who face challenges, figure out ways to
overcome them, and, in doing so, become different individuals. For me, the
story is best if it ends hopefully.
On
Facebook, an author friend Warren Moore, posted a newspaper article from 1918
informing the citizens of Newberry, South Carolina, that all churches, schools,
public meetings, and soda fountains in Newberry County were closed until
further notice due to the Spanish influenza. Who could have imagined that just
over 100 years later, we would be dealing with a similar situation?
While
we socially distance and self-quarantine (would you have expected those words
to be common place a month ago?), my hope is that we invest ourselves in the wonderful
access we now have through the internet to remain in the world without exposing
ourselves and others to harmful conditions. Let us find ways to learn and
create while the health care professionals discover the answers to address this
virus. And, let’s use our current means of maintaining contact at a distance to
make certain all those we know are safe and not in need.

Read, write, and stay
safe and healthy.