Half Past Life

In the little “down” time I do have, I enjoy seeing the world. I have traveled throughout the continental United States, as well as to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Canada, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Jamaica, Mexico, England, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Morocco, and Egypt. Still on my bucket list of places to visit are Scotland, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Wales, Alaska, Australia, Netherlands, Greek Isles, Scandinavian fjords, and the Galápagos Islands. I also want to visit these must-see sites: Great Wall of China, Acropolis, Angkor Wat, Petra, St. Basil’s Cathedral, St. Petersburg, Budapest, Forbidden City, Taj Mahal, and Machu Picchu. (Wow!  That’s a whole lot of places. Looks like I will be racking up some frequent flyer miles!)

Phenomenal Women

Now you understand
Just why my head’s not bowed.   
I don’t shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud.   
When you see me passing,
It ought to make you proud.
I say,
It’s in the click of my heels,   
The bend of my hair,   
the palm of my hand,   
The need for my care.   
’Cause I’m a woman
Phenomenally.
Phenomenal woman,
That’s me.

— Maya Angelou

October Lights

Instead a new light, a slightly brighter one, pried open my eye lids and again, I was startled to fully awake. Floating across the room was a small flowing drape of light, slowly rotating and moving from near the door towards the end of my bed. It was like a couple feet of weightless semi-transparent chiffon fabric, and it drifted closer to my bed.

My pulse was racing and I was angry at being almost scared. “No,” I thought, “I’m a scientist and not some ghost-story paranoid. But what is that thing?”

Princes, Paupers, Pilgrims, and Pioneers

“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: One is roots, the other is wings.” Teaching children values and giving them the opportunity to excel is essential to good parenting. However, I feel I must also provide my children (and myself) insight into the ones who came before us: our ancestors whose lives and stories have shaped us into who we are. This is my journey; these are their stories…