Author Archives: joyocala

Psalm 30:5 speaks to us about anger and wrath lasting for a night but gives a reminder that joy comes with the light of day, in the morning.  During my working years, I was up at 5:30 a.m., wakened by … Continue reading →

The two people who most touched my life are “Uncle Fred” (as we used to call our high school music teacher) and my deceased husband Hugo. Uncle Fred was an understated man; religious, compassionate and a wonderful teacher. His greatest … Continue reading →

As I write this blog, I am preparing for a minor surgical procedure tomorrow. I am trying to work up some fear and anxiety about it, but I am strangely calm and at peace. No, I am not anticipating any … Continue reading →

I was (am) absolutely useless at any athletic endeavor. However, I used to faithfully watch the Olympics, amazed by the abilities of competitors. I was envious because I knew I’d never be like them. I grew up and moved on … Continue reading →

I am a retired math teacher, and sometimes I could sense that the students in a class were not working as hard as they should. Instead of chewing them out, I would tell them about Euclid and King Ptolemy I. … Continue reading →

There are times of darkness. Inky, black darkness. I am not referring to the kind where you literally cannot see your hand in front of your face. That is scary in and of itself. It is the kind of darkness … Continue reading →

Did you ever search for a hidden treasure? May be it was a treasure hunt, a scavenger hunt or an Easter egg hunt. Maybe you had lost a precious or sentimental piece of jewelry. You were focused. Nothing could interfere … Continue reading →

Have you heard the expression “hang in there?” I used to have a poster in my classroom of a kitten dangling precariously from a tree limb and the words HANG IN THERE were captioned on the poster. Can your faith … Continue reading →

Namaskar in Hindu culture can be described as: “on the level of life energy, there is giving.” (One makes himself into an offering to the other person being greeted with prayerful hands. It is a symbol of giving of the … Continue reading →

Gone are the days of the “back bundle.” The time of when a man or a woman could carry all their belongings on their backs and move from one hunting ground to the next with relative ease. Do you remember … Continue reading →