stephanieraffelockFeb 274 minPoets Not PoliticiansThe sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine. My friend, photographer Jeannee Sacken posted this on social media today to show...
stephanieraffelockFeb 33 minWe Matter At Every AgeOn January 30th, Chelsie Kryst, a woman who had worn the crown and sash of “Miss USA,” ended her own life by jumping out of a window. ...
stephanieraffelockJan 232 minPandemic PoetryWho did we used to be before “normal” was a place to which we longed to return? If we find that place again, will we be restored to our...
stephanieraffelockJan 152 minA Prayer For The Coming StormEarly morning and a disconcerting wind whips and crashes outside my window. Trees sway, and the last of the red, tenacious leaves finally...
stephanieraffelockDec 31, 20213 minWinter Stories That I know By HeartEach year changes me, remolds me, like clay becoming a pot, unfinished and waiting. Each place changes me. This place, Austin, is like a...
stephanieraffelockDec 19, 20214 minThe Saga of Mickey Losing His NutsMy dog. Mickey Mantle Raffelock. The last dog was Jeter, so if you're a baseball fan, you can see that there's a pattern here. Even...
stephanieraffelockDec 14, 20212 minCultivate the Sweet MomentsTom dresses up like Santa Claus. He has decorated a corner of his front yard with Christmas backdrops pinned to the fence, along with...
stephanieraffelockNov 28, 20214 minThe Art of BalanceI barreled through the month of November with the determination and tenacity of an ambitious thirty-five year old, only to collide with...
stephanieraffelockOct 30, 20213 minThe Her Spirit Writing RetreatLet the beauty we love, be what we do. There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground. ~Rumi I looked forward to the retreat for...
stephanieraffelockOct 4, 20214 minLove, Death and LossWhen did I know that you were in my life? A faded memory of sitting on the front porch, placing crackers between my toes and sticking my...
stephanieraffelockSep 6, 20214 minThe Frightening Fade of Roe v. WadePhoto Credit: Sebastian Kaczoroski Texas. Ground Zero. Back to where we started almost fifty years ago. It took three years for Roe v....
stephanieraffelockAug 22, 20216 minMaking A BookI am so grateful to be writing. The process helps me to make sense of the world and make sense of my life. Making books is my passion,...
stephanieraffelockAug 16, 20213 minMonday Morning ChurningThe rains came yesterday afternoon. Thunder, lightening, the drama pressing itself against the windows. I read while I stroked the dog’s...
stephanieraffelockAug 6, 20213 minTen Things That Make Me Happy & GratefulThis whole COVID thing has me down today. For a couple of months I was feeling pretty impervious. I had dinner guests. I went out to...
stephanieraffelockJul 25, 20212 minThe Summer Sun Always Sets Over the Ice Cream Truck Summer brings joyful chaos to life. The heat is such that I have to walk early in the day. Walk before the sun becomes too intense, and...
stephanieraffelockJul 17, 20213 minAltars and Everyday RitualsThe small stone Buddha was meant for the garden, but it was cold and raining the day that I brought it home. Thinking I’d move it outside...
stephanieraffelockJul 7, 20212 minCaution: Writer StretchingI put aside a work in progress, a manuscript that needs to settle before I can pick it up again. Such an action stirs in me other...
stephanieraffelockJun 7, 20213 minDemocracy On The RopesOnce a week, give or take a day, I write a blog post. I try to keep my posts upbeat and sincere. But here’s a deeper truth: these days...
stephanieraffelockJun 2, 20212 minWhat A Difference A Year Can Make!Today a couple of memories popped up on my Facebook page and I was surprised by what a touchstone they were. At this time in 2019, I had...
stephanieraffelockApr 23, 20213 minOde To An Aging NeckI would love to tell you that I’m so evolved that I never lament lost youth. But, I’m only human, and today this human is thinking way...