The Orchid Journal

(A photo my Aunt Beth took of me a few years ago. I was showing her the horses my class was training at the University of Arizona Equine Center.) I haven't been feeling up to par, then I stood outside in the frigid cold for 30 minutes waiting for a bus, so forgive me for only posting a photo and a direct Psalm without much commentary today. My head literally feels frozen. Anyway, this is a Psalm many people recite or refer to in sermons, devotionals, and use as a source of memory verses. Rather than read it, skimming through vaguely because it is "so familiar", take this time to come to it in a different way. Before you read it, think of an animal or a person you love and know very well. (Since I put up a photo of a horse, I thought about how well I grew to know, understand and care about the individual horses I trained.) Try to recall as many details about that person or animal as you can, their behaviors, voice, scent, their catch phrases or typical antics, their r...

(Photo Credit) When I think of Andrew Carnegie, the first thing that crosses my mind is not his involvement in the railroad or steel companies, but the 3,000 libraries he established throughout the world. In America alone, Carnegie created 1,689 libraries in places like Tucson, Arizona, San Antonio, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri. The stunning Central Library, in St. Louis, MO is still located in the original 1912 building that Andrew Carnegie commissioned. Recently, the library re-opened after undergoing renovations for the past two years. The great-great-grandchildren of Andrew Carnegie attended a special gala event celebrating the library. The St. Louis Public Library is #2 in the country (in order of greatness) and gives millions of people access to literature, media tools, and literacy initiatives. An exceedingly rich Andrew Carnegie and his philanthropic endeavors are the reason most cities in the United States have successful library systems. Throughout his life, a...

A genius died on September 26, 2011. His name was Bob Cassilly and he created St. Louis' most beloved wonderland, The City Museum . Bob Cassilly was a sculptor and his (often cement) work is displayed throughout St. Louis, in NYC's Central Park, the Dallas zoo, Bush Gardens in Virginia, and other locations. It seemed that anything he created was imbued with delight and playfulness. The City Museum, with its three to ten story high slides, tunnels, craft center, circus, Ferris wheel, and seemingly endless caves, tree structures, and outdoor suspended "playground" that he designed throughout, is the epitome of delight. As a St. Louisan, I have enjoyed playing at the City Museum as a high schooler, college student, and now as a grown woman. The place never gets old. My best friend held her reception there and the wedding party and guests had a blast exploring the place together after a hearty breakfast. (By far the best reception I've ever attended.) When my...

(This is not my pot, but it well represents my cooking life. There was a display shack on the grounds of the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in AZ and this was in the rusty old, abandoned kitchen.) Cooking is not my strong point. When people ask, "What would you do if you could win a million dollars?" my first thought is not to go on a cruise or quit working, it is to hire someone to cook for me once a day. If there was a scale measuring cook-worthiness ranging from: a chef in a four star restaurant (best) a person capable of cooking satisfactory meals for a family (middling) someone who can't boil water (Why do you even try?) I would fall a bit over halfway between the "can't boil water" cook and the family cook: -Laelia- know basics (sometimes), can follow recipes (if I'm not too distracted or impatient), and can improvise with ingredients a little (with potential disappointing results) Baking, for some reason, is not a problem for me. I have ...

(Central Park Reservoir, NYC photo taken on my June 2010 road trip) Think back to a time when you were a tourist in a new location. What did you do to experience your surroundings? If I am in a city, I like to walk around gawking at the architecture, savoring (or gagging at) the scents (or stenches) wafting in the air, studying the people walking by and listening to their accents. I like to stop in and try restaurants that are indicative of the area's culture or specialty, admire local art or museums, and maybe even strike up a chat with someone who lives there to find out what it is like first hand. If I am visiting a nature place, I like to explore meandering paths, read the plaques in the visitor centers or along the trails, soak in the various new noises I hear from the wildlife at night or paddle a canoe down the river for a different view. In either case, I am sure to have my camera on hand or at least take extra care to soak in the sights and sounds in order to car...

(Boyce Thompson Arboretum, AZ 2009) If a man shuts his ears to the cry of the poor, he too will cry out and not be answered. Proverbs 21:13 Poor people have a lot to cry about. They are weakened and made vulnerable by their lack of resources on every level imaginable. Being poor affects how much food you eat and what kind of food you have access to, if any. It limits the safe areas in which you are able to afford to live. Being poor limits transportation, education, and thus, job opportunities, as well as severely restricts having access to basic life necessities such as health services, payment for your place of living if you even have one, and respect as a unique individual in the community. God has a lot to say about poor people. At some point, I recommend going to a site like www.BibleGateway.com and typing the word "poor" into the search box. From beginning to end of the Bible, God speaks about the poor in the law books, in the Psalms, stories, parables, a...

January 11th was Human Trafficking Awareness Day. Compassion International posted an informative (and heartbreaking) flyer online with details about the child sex trade around the world. Poverty is downright putrid. It is debilitating, frightening, and wearying, a long, drawn out kind of torture. To add to the misery, children in poverty are at risk for being forced into the sex trade either by members of their family, strangers, or even of their own misguided decision in an attempt to escape their hellish situation. Sadly, their hell only intensifies. Poverty crushes people's sense of self-worth and plunges them into a desperation which makes choosing or falling into a degrading practice seem like the only escape. Children, who have little power or voice to control their own lives are more susceptible to this lie. I have spoken before about my decision to be Childfree, meaning, I choose to not have children of my own, not now or when I get married either. While some pe...

A few days after Christmas, my family and I decided to visit the Pima Air and Space Museum which consists of 300 aircraft spread over 80 acres of south Tucson. Since the planes are displayed throughout the property in hangers and out in the open air, it is best to avoid visiting the Air & Space Museum in the summer. Really, I wouldn't suggest visiting Tucson in the summer at all. (Tucsonans will thank me for sending even more visitors to them during their most crowded tourist season. NOT.) The hotel prices would certainly be less expensive and the city less crowded in the summer, but unless you like baking yourself inside ovens or are going to spend your time exploring the top of Mt. Lemmon, you will enjoy your time more by visiting during the other seasons. At the Pima Air & Space Museum there were planes of all sizes: and colors: Since I am more of a train lover and know little about planes, my excursion into this museum was merely rudimentary, as I was ...

On this day, we are honoring Dr. Martin Luther King as well as inaugurating our returning President Barack Obama. This sermon's content pertains to today as if it were spoken by MLK this morning. As you remember Dr. Martin Luther King, he would want you to also remember Christ. February 4, 1968 sermon. Two months before Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered.

(photo taken in 2009 of a mural in Barrio Anita, Tucson, AZ) Exploring a new neighborhood is a fun way to spice up your routine. People tend to stick to their same areas, even driving around town via the same roads, visiting the same parks or restaurants. Some people don't even walk or drive on different streets in their own neighborhood and only stick to the fastest routes home and stay in the house. I love to walk. I also love to drive, but I don't have a car these days, so I either take the bus, metro train, or walk around town which are all circuitous methods of travelling. Often, I see a new shop or statue that I had never noticed before, or pass a park that I'd like to visit when I have more time. In the past, I would walk around my neighborhoods exploring new streets and invariably, something fun would happen. Once, in High School, my little brother and I were walking down a street perpendicular to ours and we came across some children playing in the yard...

Often, I close my eyes and listen to this song over and over again. If you like singing along with and memorizing songs and would like to memorize scripture, you'll have a whole Psalm memorized in this one! The music is fitting for each portion of the lyrics, conveying the power and gentleness in the words of Psalm 23. This Psalm is used in many death or burial scenes in movies which can make it feel cliche, but Keith Green's music revitalized the words for me. Psalm 23 is a song about life! It is about how the Lord guides, protects, and walks with us throughout our days. Whether you're afraid, feeling chastised, blessed, hopeful, in despair, weary, rested, at any point in life, this Psalm is a reminder of His presence, goodness, and love.

This bird had seen better days. He (or she, but I'll stick to he) looked bedraggled and weary with his thinned tail feathers and drooping wings. I saw him at the Tucson zoo one day. Amidst the flamingos and other exotic foul, this plain, local bird landed on a rock, and stood there, sagging. At the moment I took this photo he looked towards me. I laughed when I saw the result because his slightly peeved expression seems to say, "Yeah, what of it?" I think he drank from the pond, then continued to stand there looking dazed. Did he get into a fight with a cat? Maybe a larger bird smacked him around for a bit? Or maybe he journeyed from a far and distant place. Most likely, he was only a city park bird worn by the daily grind of surviving in a city park. The zoo must be a pleasant change of scenery surrounded by bright pink, bow legged creatures standing in calm water. Of course, I'm projecting human thoughts, emotions, and story onto this bird, but he remi...

(All photos by the author) If you ever find yourself in Tucson, Az, make a point to see the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! My Tucson family are members to this place. When I lived there, and even when I visit for holidays, we explored the Desert Museum often. If you want a safe excursion into the desert to learn about the Sonoran desert flora and fauna, the Desert Museum is the place for you! Along with low-impact hiking, they have a Hummingbird House, Aviary, various animal displays (and a soon-to-open aquarium), fun stamping and playing activities for the kids along the trails and in the cave/tunnels, and a cafeteria area to refresh yourself. You'll need it after walking under the Arizona sun! The Hummingbird house allows for close encounters with the tiny jewels. Who said cacti were boring? There is an Aviary on the Desert Museum property, and it hosts a few species of birds which are in easy range to see or photograph. Another fun aspect of the Desert Museum ...

As far as brothers go, I lucked out. Twice! I have two brothers, with the three of us sisters sandwiched in between, which means I get the best of both worlds having an older AND a younger brother! Both of my brothers are excellent, hilarious men, but today, I want to feature my younger brother. Brendan was born 17 years ago today. When he arrived, I was 11.5 years old! Despite our age spread, he's been my buddy since the day we met. My brother loves to read, ride his bike, and work out, is super smart, funny, caring, and intuitive about people. I visited them for Christmas 2012 and while walking outside in a nature reserve, I stopped him, saying, "Let's take a picture together." I laughed when I saw the result, but said, "This time make a nice face!" So we posed again: (I don't know the random guy behind my head or anyone else in the periphery of the photo either, actually.) "Hey! I said a NICE face!" He laughed, "Fine...

(Brussels actor Benjamin Verdonck on his nest) Nesting: To build or occupy a nest. To create and settle into a warm and secure refuge. To put snugly together or inside one another or better yet; the tendency to arrange one's immediate surroundings, such as a work station, to create a place where one feels secure, comfortable, or in control Benjamin Verdonck built a nest on the outside of a Rotterdam city building in 2008. That could have been called his "Nesting Year". While his art project is fascinating and oddly inspiring, my Nesting Year does not involve creating a human sized nest out of tree branches, foam, and hay. Besides the fact that I am terrified of heights, I think his version would be a bit drafty for a home. As I was contemplating a potential theme for this year, my mind kept reverting back to decorating my new apartment. At the same time, I thought of birds and other animals that busy themselves with making their home as I was doing. The wo...

{painting by Laelia Watt, January 2012- my first ever oil painting} 2012 was my "Year of Expression." A coworker had inspired me with the concept of "naming your year" with a theme when we were discussing New Year's resolutions, goals, and prayers. Inspired to do the same, I wrote my own blog post in which I described how 2012 was to be dubbed my "Year of Expression." Throughout the year, this theme helped focus the decisions I made in how to spend my time and enabled me to give voice to feelings I would have been too afraid to admit previously. Most of all, the year developed a sense of purpose and direction. "Naming" 2012 was probably the most consciously intentional year of my life. 2012 was also fraught with stress. Because of constant financial strain, work issues, inability to procure better employment, transportation drama, and other high emotional stress inducers in my personal life, I developed shingles by September, my b...

At last, I am settled enough into my new home that I have internet at my disposal! It has been a long three months since October trying to keep up with the blog periodically at least, while packing, moving, visiting family across the country, and painting and decorating my new place. Starting next week, I hope to resume my previous endeavor of writing a post every weekday: Mitigate Monday "Tour of..." Tuesday Weighty Wednesday Theology Thursday Frolic Friday For the rest of this week, though, I will deviate a bit since we only have Thursday and Friday left. For Thursday I will write a reflection of 2012 and Friday I will write a post for "Naming" 2013. If you don't know what I mean by that, well, check back on Friday! I'm super excited about resuming my writing and photo blogging! Being so busy with moving made it nearly impossible to write much and I actually felt deeply grieved about it. A writer must write, after all, whether there is a rea...