Author Archives: JulieV

SOFA SURFING and TAKING INVENTORY

I’ve been seeing this sofa for several days in my regular drive down the alley toward my garage.  It got me to wondering about all the sofas that get tossed and whether there were options to just dropping it into the local garbage mountain.  One entry in my search engine “furniture in landfills” lead meContinue reading “SOFA SURFING and TAKING INVENTORY”

Commencing Now

On Sunday, July 26th I participated in Goddard College’s commencement exercises on the beautiful Plainfield, Vermont campus.  In my mind’s eye I see in vibrant technicolor the beautiful souls shining through the faces of the faculty, fellow graduates, other students in the program and the alumni present, physically and in spirit via Facebook posts.  TheContinue reading “Commencing Now”

a + b =

This post reflects upon my experiences as a witness this past weekend at the wedding of my daughter Anna to her life partner, and now wife, Bridget.  The officiant at the ceremony was my daughter, Kara, Anna’s elder sister.  Also present and participating was my daughter Eva, as well as Anna’s father, John Volkmann andContinue reading “a + b =”

FLASH OF INSIGHT on THE ROAD

While driving to Vermont to attend commencement at Goddard College, I stopped at a rest stop along I 90.  After driving most of the day, its no longer clear to me whether I was in eastern Ohio or had just crossed into New York.  The late afternoon sun took my attention away from my road-wearyContinue reading “FLASH OF INSIGHT on THE ROAD”

Starbuck, Ever the First Mate, Ever Making the Same Decision

The WayMaking Cairn’s recent encounter with a discarded Starbuck’s coffee cup provides the grist for this post. First, please recall where the name Starbuck originated. A quick search on Starbuck the character takes us to the Cliff Notes website. Remember Cliff Notes?  The redemptive resource for all high school English class procrastinators as they cram theContinue reading “Starbuck, Ever the First Mate, Ever Making the Same Decision”

The Magical Mystery Tires are Waiting ….

A few weeks ago I was coming home around midnight.  As I drove down the alley toward my garage, I came upon four old tires lying in seemingly random locations across the alley right in front of my garage. I stopped the car, rolled each of the tires, one by one,  to the side,  safelyContinue reading “The Magical Mystery Tires are Waiting ….”

SNOW NIGHT LIGHT STUDY

Vermont is beautiful any time of the year.  However, in the winter, there are occasions when the quality of the light on the night snow creates one breathtaking sculptural still life after another.  I could do nothing else but respond to that which called me to be still, behold, and attempt to capture the ineffableContinue reading “SNOW NIGHT LIGHT STUDY”

Waymaking Cairn – IMBY

IMBY – a play on the acronym NIMBY, which means “not in my backyard.” The phrase came to be associated with community activism that protests the location of a new element within the community which is perceived as a threat to the community.  Sometimes the perceived threat is economic – property values might plummet.  SometimesContinue reading “Waymaking Cairn – IMBY”