Sister Rain’s Note: In July 2015 I began a series of posts about Piper, my now 17-year-old conure (a type of parrot) who adopted Mister Rain and me when he was 6. I don’t intend to republish previous content on this site but I think the story of Piper and…
We met in Port Orchard, Washington. I don’t know how long you hung from a branch or how recently you fell to the ground. I do know that you did it gracefully; look at you – how could anything else be possible? I understand the edicts about nature, “leave no…
My mom died five months before my vision loss. She always wanted her ashes to go to her beloved New Jersey beach. She and I were the best of friends, traveling to this coastal town many times together for over 30 years. She died at home. I leave there that…
In layperson’s terms, something attacked my optic nerves. They are a group of nerve fibers that transfer visual information from the eye to the brain. Mine swelled, when the inflammation went down, the nerves were damaged beyond repair. The result is optic neuropathy. My eyes, ironically, are perfectly healthy except…
I have been to Gettysburg National Military Park several times, it’s less than three hours from my home. In recent years it has become personal. My great-great-grandfather was a Union soldier as was his brother. My great-great-grandfather was not at Gettysburg, his brother was. On a previous trip we located his…
Piper had his annual checkup with his veterinarian last week. He got an A+ and although his mom and dad didn’t have any concerns, the news of his excellent health was a relief. You may wonder what a yearly examination of a bird involves. First, while Piper is still in…
This site will never be political and although you may associate the subject of this post as a politician, I assure you it is about a man. My husband and I have tremendous respect for John McCain. We went to see him at a rally near our home when he…
I am not a child. I do not have a child. I do not have a grandchild. And yet I recently visited the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, a collection of interactive exhibits encouraging, no, demanding, that children explore and learn. The reason for my visit was to view artifacts…
Since my vision loss I have loved the idea of an arrow as a symbol of going forward. Several years ago I put a wooden arrow over my bedroom door so that every time I exit I am reminded to keep moving ahead. Recently I heard the arrow being described…
I love to visit where history has occurred, to be in the room where it happened. But what if you were able to actually bear witness to the moments that birthed this nation, to be present when the United States received a proverbial smack on its bottom and let out…
