Margaret Wheatley (Leadership and the New Science) warned us in the 1990s: “Probably the most visible example of unintended consequences is what happens every time humans try to change the natural ecology of a place.” Her view picks up on Adam Smith’s eighteenth-century concept of an “invisible hand” that may bring about results that bear..
Category: blog - page 3
The word gigil (sounds like ghee-gill) is a term from the Philippines’ Tagalog language, recently added to the Oxford English Dictionary. It refers to an intense feeling that makes us clench our hands, grit our teeth, or reach out to touch something that is irresistibly adorable. Gigil seems to be the perfect word to describe Robbie’s..
On p. 87 of Providence Point, Bella tells Robbie about her uncle … “Soon, the Major’s creditors will be able to do as they please… They’ve been after the meadow for ages and he isn’t rich any more.” “But could he live anywhere else?” “Of course not. Still, can you guess what he says?” I..
After decades abroad, I settled near southern Ontario’s Lake Erie to create my own tribute to haunts I had enjoyed in England, Provence, Morocco, and Persia. My goal was to bring together the lushness of a cottage garden, the harmony of a symmetrical parterre, and the mystery of a reflecting pool, all nestled within the..
Young Robbie recalls that on his fifth birthday … “I received a lithesome steel fishing rod of my own. In my hands, it felt robust yet unexpectedly precise. I hastened to test it on the sunfish under the dock. Though nothing I caught that day found its way to the table, I received a different..
“Reading in bed jumpstarts dreams.” – Terri Guillemets was right to include this motto on her ‘Quote Garden’ website. And in that spirit, Providence Point features chapters that are often just several pages long. After an exhausting day, one peek into their magical world is enough to deliver peace of mind ahead of a great..
“A book,” Garrison Keillor supposedly declared, “is a gift you can open again and again.” He may (or may not!) have said so on one of his Prairie Home Companion shows, but the picky details hardly matter. The main thing is that he hit the nail on the head. Every dyed-in-the-wool reader can name a..