Until I purchased my apartment several years ago, home, for me, meant the place where I grew up in Jamaica; the place I go to relax and recharge when life in the U.S. takes its toll, the place where my heart really is. Then, it became “home, home” to differentiate it from my “home” – the place I owned. When I go “home, home” I revert to the person I...

A Musing Elephant and I exchanged a few comments about a recent post on her blog. When she mentioned that one of favorite places in Jamaica is Pelican Bar, I felt I had “met” a kindred spirit. Pelican Bar is one of my favorite places as well. Our exchanges took me back to my first trip to the bar and the memories I have which serve me now on this...

I think of that phrase from my favorite Jamaican poetess and author, Lorna Goodison, each time I ask family members and friends the names of flowering plants that adorn their gardens and they tell me they don’t know or aren’t sure. I smile and I also understand. Jamaica is a paradise for plants and flowers. With more than 200 species of orchids, nearly half endemic to the island, several hundred...