The Journal Journey

When artist Gail Nadeau cared for her mother (who was descending into dementia), Gail kept a notebook. She drew and painted and wrote. She molded something from the experience even as the experience itself shaped her . She used the simple power of the notebook, to accept and process life's realities. Like Gail, I keep notebooks. I have a general one, for the miscellaneous pieces of my life. I have one just for my experience in the outdoor Secret Place . I have a purple prayer notebook that... Read Full Story

Wikizines are interactive magazines that anyone can create or edit - and this one is called "The Journal Journey". Here you can find fresh voices and respond in real time. Some members write articles about recent news and trends related to the wikizine's topic, others recount relevant personal stories or share their favorite pictures and video clips. Got an interesting idea or story to share with other members of this wikizine? Well, then put on your journalist's cap and add your own article... Read Full Story

One of the nice things about having twelve years worth of journals lying around is that I have a near-limitless reserve of material to post and make fun of when I have nothing better to blog. Today, I have nothing better to blog. Last night, I found myself once again thumbing through my first journal . I tend to keep an old journal or two close at hand because they serve as instant triggers for reminiscing. They are also incontrovertible proof that cocky kids grow up to be humble, kind... Read Full Story

In January of 1996, I walked into a grocery store in Shrewsbury, MA with my father and my sister. I was seventeen . I don’t recall where exactly the store was, why we where there, or what we bought while there, save one item. The first journal I ever owned. I remember walking down the aisle with the school supplies and glancing down at the notebooks lined up on display. I looked quickly over the spirals and spotted the familiar black and white marbled cover of PenTab... Read Full Story

This post is part 2 in a series entitled Symbols of Redemption. For part 1, click here . Last week, in part one of this series , I talked about my many incomplete journals. I admitted that I’m pretty good about coming up with new ideas and starting new things, but that I often have trouble carrying those ideas to completion. Because this is so much a part of my personality, my journals became symbols of incompleteness beyond the blank pages themselves. They were symbols of brokenness... Read Full Story

I beseech thee, oh bakers of bread, slicers of meats, suppliers of groceries, upon thy honor to apprentice thyself to a Jersey baker, deli worker, and grocery supplier. Why doest thou not slice deli meats so thinly? Learn ye to slice thy fineries onion-paper thin. Why doest thou not stock the very same American cheese as is found in so great a land as New Jersey? Learn ye to cultivate cheese with such flavor. Why doest thou not carry Ambrosia rolls and pork roll? Learn ye to discover... Read Full Story

While I do believe clothing to be an evil that may or may not be necessary, no worries, this post has nothing to do with physical nakedidity (50 points for knowing which character in my favorite TV show used this term often). It has to do with Isaiah (who did go naked for some amount of time based on God's command--oh, the crazy things prophets do) and yesterday's sermon. Yesterday, the priest preached from Isaiah 30, about this idea of our running around trying to do things our way... Read Full Story

We all love Moleskine® notebooks. The quality of the paper and cover, the simplicity of the design, and the feel in your hands. Now they have come out with great new colors in their New Moleskine Volant Collection in Blue, Green, Pink, and the standard Black.   I really welcome the new colors and appreciate the moods they can generate. They come in 3 different sizes and are packaged in sets of two shades: Lighter pink with darker pink, lighter green with darker green, lighter blue with... Read Full Story

Here I am again. Starting another empty volume. Sitting, drinking coffee. Wondering what will become of my life. - July 19, 2003 This post is part 2 in a series entitled Symbols of Redemption. For part 1, click here . For part 2, click here . On July 19, 2003, I began my eleventh journal with the words above. “Here I am again.” They were words of recognition… “Starting another empty volume.” … of repetition… “Sitting, drinking coffee.” … tied to a dream of being... Read Full Story

These are the things making me happy these days: The other day, I was walking in my neighborhood in search of a garage sale announced (very largely, I might add) at the mouth of my street. Halfway up the alleged garage sale street , a girl and her mom sat in their front yard. "Hi!" the girl said. "Hi," I said. I turned to her mom. "Do you know anything about a garage sale?" "Sorry. Haven't seen anything." The little girl ran up to me and gave me a delicate lavender... Read Full Story