The Orchid Journal

The intense thirst surprised me the most when I first moved to Tucson. No matter how much water I drank, my throat was still dry and every fiber of my being begged for more. It is so dry in the desert that any water on my skin evaporates before I knew it was there. After some time in the desert climate, I realized that either my tolerance for thirstiness increased or my body acclimated itself to living off less water because I could go hours and hours without drinking anything. While this tolerance is more convenient, it is also dangerous. People in Tucson constantly warn newcomers to keep drinking water even if they don't feel thirsty. Apparently it is common to forgo water so long thinking you are not thirsty, but in actuality dehydration sneaks up easily and before you realize it, your body can go into shock because it needs water so badly. When I am under the intense, bright sun of the desert and my thirst increases, I think about these verses: Revelation 7:13-17 Then one of...

The light blue shirts are always the same shade. I wonder if they all go to Wal-Mart together to be sure to buy the same color or if they hand out color swatches in their gang meetings. Do they have to wear light blue every day? Are their wardrobes full of light blue t-shirts folded neatly in their drawers, one for every day of the week? I see the young men walking down the streets, heads down, with purpose in a sauntering sort of way. They look up surprised when I say hello and wave. So far, the faces are friendly. They smile back in little smiles and quickly drop their heads again. My heart goes out to the boys and the young men who choose to be in gangs. I understand the allure of being in a brotherhood, a committed community, but what about the danger? Light blue seems an odd choice for a gang. I wonder if they ever talk about changing colors. I wonder if they kill people often.

Life is full of lima beans squished in salty butter and sometimes there is ice cream served with peas and pepper

She nurtured me with her heart, soul and body. Thank you, Mom, and Happy Birthday.

In the midst of miserably contemplating the fact that my car had broken down and so many other things were going wrong, I suddenly had the biggest urge to go to the downtown library and borrow a book about interior decorating.

I glanced at the man who walked into the post office while I was waiting in line for my package. He was tall and strong with a strong jaw and he was wearing sunglasses, but it wasn't until he took off his sunglasses that I gave him a second look. His eyes were amazing! There were dark and soft, which made him suddenly all the more handsome. We glanced at each other a few times, then I left and sat in my car to excitedly open my birthday present from my friend in South Africa. My car window was down and I was listening to music as I admired the soft towel with my name embroidered on it that my friend Brenda had sent me. The man with the nice eyes came out of the Post Office door. As he walked by my car, he looked at me and said something which I missed because of the music. I turned it down, looked at him and said, "huh?" The man smiled and said, "You is beautiful!" I felt my eyebrows raise in surprise while I smiled back and said, "Thank you very mu...

In order to develop discipline in my writing and to follow the advice, "Write every day," I have decided to write two sentences per day. This is not much, I know, but I need to start small or I will never keep it up.