Articles Archives - Janet Kurtz

Celebrations & Core Beliefs

In the north, meteorologists have added “wind chill” to their weather reports. They elongate their updates with “the temperature feels like” and “polar winds” coming in from Canada, as they sweep their hands over huge

Heart of My Soul

Illinois used to be a lot further away from northern Wisconsin than it is today. “Consider the roads,” Charles began. “Today’s expressways were once two-lane highways, winding, hilly, without shoulders, and dotted with myriad small

Of Owls and the Full Moon

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. The battery run wall clock faithfully pulses time through the cabin’s interior. At this moment, it is working its melodic tick, tock through the night’s darkness. I am soothed, like a

What Gets Your Attention

“Would you like to go outside today?” I asked Sister when I showed up at her room on the second floor of the Franciscan convent. Looking at the diminutive figure bent into her wheelchair, gives

Gregarious Hermit

I only have a few hours left here. I spent the entire day preparing for my departure. The change resembles going from heaven to earth, without the actual dying, which we believe is done in

The Adventures Behind Lists

I pulled out the small shopping cart at Trig’s Supermarket and began my meandering search for this year’s supplies, list in hand. Unlike the Ten Commandments, this is a list of suggestions. A starting point

North to Alaska

The plane would leave at 9:30 p.m., meaning we needed to schedule the airport transport to arrive no later than 7:30. It was an hour drive to catch that ride, so working back, I figured

Here AND There:
Flat Jan

If you are here, you can’t be there. If you’re there, you can’t be here. Unless, of course, you have made a clone of yourself to send adventuring in the hands of others. One of

Return to Jubilee

The traffic sped by us, easily exceeding legal limits by ten to fifteen miles per hour. The large, long semis appeared out of nowhere, covering us with their shadows as they sandwiched us between the

Time Ran Out

It is the be-twixted and between hour of the morning. I rolled over to see the red numbers on the alarm clock flash 4:04 a.m. – way too early to get out of bed. I

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