Mystical Murmurs: My Interfaith Life

Oh, OK, you're right ... It's been awhile. I, like many people, got through Christmas and collapsed. Why do I do this to myself every year? I don't even have little kids to use as an excuse. Next year, all I want is a candle in the window and a wreath on the door. Hear that, J.? Adjust! On the other hand, I wouldn't mind having an itty bitty tree (say three feet tall), with all my glass ornaments (icicles, raindrops, snowflakes, etc. on it). And white lights, of course. See, I'm already caving in! At the moment, however, I am stewing over the fireplace. There was an article in our newspaper recently about how terribly polluting wood-smoke is, so I have been feeling guilty every time I light a fire. Particulates! Yuck. So I have a decision to make, now that the firewood is nearly gone and spring will be here soon (I hope). Do I purchase a cleaner-burning fireplace insert that still burns wood? A pellet stove? (somehow that makes me sound like a guinea pig) Or some

It's cold here, so I was wrapped up this morning, and had my chin down, tucked under my scarf. My hat was pulled down over my forehead. With my full work backpack, I must have resembled a slowly-moving rummage sale -- a pile of clothing on legs! As I approached the turnstile where I exit the commuter train and head for the subway, I found my path blocked by a figure. Pushing up my hat so I could see, I regarded an earnest-looking young man about my son's age. Dark curly hair, navy peacoat, multicolored scarf. I started to weave around him, which is my standard operating procedure in public places. Then he spoke. "Jesus loves you!" he said. I stopped weaving and looked at him. "Thanks. He loves you, too!" I answered. He smiled. "I know. Jesus loves you!" he exclaimed to the next couple, right behind me, and I continued on my way. But now I was smiling instead of cringing from the cold. What would the world be like if we all knew God's love, al

OK. We voted. And the Republicans pretty much cleaned our clock. However, Rob Andrews (D.) won again in NJ's 1st Congressional District (yay, Rob!), and Christine O'Donnell was defeated in her Senate race in Delaware. So ... not a total loss. I am not throwing myself under the bus. Not until 2012, at least! But, enough whining. J. and I went to Italy in October, to celebrate our 30th anniversary (actually, our anniversary was in May, but we were too busy to go then -- a sad comment on American life). One of the many places we went was the Villa d'Este, located in Tivoli, about 15 miles outside of Rome. I had been here once before, and it is one of my favorite places on the planet. The Renaissance villa was built in the middle of the 16th century, and is impressive on its own. The Italian gardens, however, are stunning , situated on a terraced hillside. There are nearly 500 fountains, and all -- all -- are run by the water pressure of a partially-diverted river. No machiner

VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!!! Did I mention that you should vote?

I dreamed last night that I was being pursued by a dancing teapot, like the one in Beauty and the Beast . Surreal! And the worst part -- the teapot had Christine O'Donnell's face and brown hair. No, I will not attempt a sketch! It was too scary! The teapot chased me down the street and nearly caught me -- but I was able to duck into a small enclosure that might have been a voting booth. For those of you who are mercifully insulated from the coming midterm elections, Christine O'Donnell is running for the U.S. Senate in my old home state of Delaware. She is the very lightweight Tea Party-sponsored Republican candidate. She describes herself as "a conservative Christian woman," and has been heard to say that God has called her to win, and that prayer affects her poll numbers. She also admitted that she "dabbled in witchcraft" as a teenager. Now, I personally don't care about her teen history. What makes my skin crawl is the Tea Party, that misguid