Refuge in the Garden, but Dwelling on the Gulf Coast

I changed out the  window box-- from kale, mustard and Johnny Jump Ups to Geraniums, petunias, Lantana, and heather.


The Larkspur is in bee-covered glory, as the Bard can attest.

Everything is clumped and ready to unfurl, petaled and perfumed.

It's a sanctuary. The garden is an asylum in the old--and precise-- use of the word. It's the place where I try to keep my sanity on this crazy, peopled planet.


It's a refuge from the news--and the coverage of the unconscionable oil spill disaster.
 It's selfish-- I can't stand to think about it: To look at the pictures of oil-drenched dolphins, sea turtles, birds and whales who pay the price of this horrible greedy monstrous tragedy.

Tragedy-- in the ancient Greek definition: heartbreak and ruin brought on by a tragic flaw.

The tragic flaw is our dependence on oil. 

What can you do? Well, besides not driving gas guzzlers--trying not to drive at all-- you can donate to wildlife organizations. I did-- [modestly, unfortunately] to the National Wildlife Federation, which has a targeted response to the oil spill, and to Upstate Forever, a local environmental group-- because I felt the Earth needed some good thoughts and some ka-ching coming her way.

Here's a better way. A powerful way. Are you an author?

A group of authors formed today: LEAGUE OF AUTHORS FOR ACTION IN THE GULF COAST.
The group, spearheaded by author Nicole Seitz, will discuss ways to capture the stories of the animals, wildlife, the people who are suffering-- and share it with the world. Never again. You can join or find out more information on the group's page on Facebook,  or Tweet or DM @NicoleSeitz, or email her at nicole@nicoleseitz.com.














LEAGUE OF AUTHORS FOR ACTION IN THE GULF COAST.

Going Wild & Green...

Moms gone wild?
After you turn 30 or so, "wildlife" has a whole new connotation..My front yard, pictured here, is a certified wildlife habitat.I'm guest posting today over at Fatal Foodies on the 6 steps to establishing a wildlife habitat in your yard--or balcony or patch of dirt....
Here's an excerpt:

There's been a sign posted in my front yard for three years. It's no "Keep off the Grass" warning--I haven't had a lawn in years. It's an official "Certified Wildlife Habitat™." sign, one of the easiest, green, fun and transforming things you can do to your yard-- and for the earth...CONTINUE READING


And here's a piece on dusting off your travelin' shoes...which is something Emma, the protagonist in SECRET KEEPERS, yearns to do. My guest blog at WritetoTravel on how childhood travel can influence your writing:

For me, what's so powerful about travel, besides being the ultimate form of escape, is the way it changes your view of the world, even after you return home. ESPECIALLY after you return home. CONTINUE READING

Living Wild

I'm certified.

Bird feeders, fountain, native seed-bearing plants, trees...and before you know it, you're living wild.

From the National Wildlife Federation: "This property provides the four basic habitat elements needed for wildlife to thrive: food, water, cover, and places to raise young."

From William David Thoreau:
"In wildness is the preservation of the world."