Welcome to the World — Bob’s Baby Granddaughter!

In an eloquent and heartfelt essay, my former colleague Bob Dewey announced the birth of his granddaughter, commenting on how grateful he felt that the delivery was “routine and uneventful.”  Indeed, modern medicine delivers infants with exquisite care and safety.  Bob pointed out that childhood mortality in the US recently hit a new low – only 5 deaths per 1,000 live births, equivalent to a rate of 0.5%.

I, too, am grateful for safety.  My grandson, Arden, recently turned 6.

But…

Continue reading “Welcome to the World — Bob’s Baby Granddaughter!”

Welcome to the World — Bob’s Baby Granddaughter!

You Never Know Who You Might Meet on the Summit of Tsoodził

Ninety minutes outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mt. Taylor (11,301 feet) rears its lofty head.  The Navajo call this peak Tsoodził, translated as Blue Bead or Turquoise Mountain.  Tsoodził is considered a sacred mountain, marking the southern extent of the Dinétah or ancestral homeland of the Navajo people.  As I neared the summit, I wondered if I might encounter Turquoise Boy, Blue Corn Girl, or Cougar, who are Holy People said to live there. Continue reading “You Never Know Who You Might Meet on the Summit of Tsoodził”

You Never Know Who You Might Meet on the Summit of Tsoodził

Place of Mystery/Center of the Universe

Bump — wheels down, LAX, right on schedule.  Baggage secured, I’m on the bus to the rental car center and then barreling along the freeway to my cousin’s home to hang with his family for ten days.  And climb some mountains, too – why, I have a long list of them.

From the highway, I see big peaks floating to the north.  Faint silhouettes cloaked by haze and ocean mist. Baking in the late afternoon glare… 

Continue reading “Place of Mystery/Center of the Universe”

Place of Mystery/Center of the Universe