My eldest son and I were talking about travel the other day. I think I was bemoaning the fact that I didn’t take a gap year- or, as would have been more helpful personally- a gap decade after high school. My initial college performance wasn’t what you’d call successful. Mostly it was just needlessly expensive when I… Continue reading Life vs The Stuff, or, What I Have Learned From Cats and Bats
Until about six weeks ago, if I took a walk in the morning, it was entirely my decision, and full of purpose – that purpose being caffeine and an overwhelming need to get out of the house and away from the fresh pile of laundry lovingly delivered by one or four of my children just that… Continue reading Morning Walk
Gypsy caravan. I could live in one of those. Easy. If I didn’t have all these other people to think about, that is. I don’t want to go for the whole gypsy/traveler stereotype thing. And the minivan already looks like a clown car when we all pile out, so my dream of caravan and… Continue reading Minimalist Panic episode 2: That really small space I’m always yacking about
\ For the last several years- well, for the last 17 years, roughly- I’ve been throwing things away as a winter practice. I think this might have something mildly to do with my synesthesia, but also because I don’t think that hanging out in the basement going through things is a warm-weather activity. Short… Continue reading Minimalist Panic, episode one
I have always liked the song Add to the Beauty by Christian artist Sara Groves, because it seemed to say practically everything I believed about how life was and how it should be viewed, lived, practiced. Which is to say, it doesn’t have anything to do with ease or comfort, but everything to do with… Continue reading Add to the Beauty
In the last few years, I’ve noticed that when Christmas rolls around, gone is any desire on my part to shop. This may or may not have something to do with my overall stubborn nature in regards to societal ‘Do’s and Don’ts’. Perhaps I’m tired of seeing dead animals wash ashore after an oil companies… Continue reading Handmade Christmas
I just came back inside on this rather cool and blustery day. I’d gone out to watch Cliff and Leroy flush the sewer system. Also just to have a chat, because they’re two of my favorite village experts. Cliff no longer lives here, but drives out several times a week to help with assorted town… Continue reading The Storm of ’09
So, my neighbors son-in-law came over last night to rototill the rest of my garden space, and proceeded to lecture me about my dandelions. I sighed, listened, and had to agree that they do look pretty bloody awful this year, but as I’m not so into spraying poisons around my yard, they’ll have to be… Continue reading The Lesson of the Dandelions
When we moved into our house, I was delighted to see a clothesline set up in the backyard. It was in need of some care- new line and new paint- but nothing that would hamper my using it occasionally. Others in the neighborhood had them to, but the only one in use was down the… Continue reading The Beauty of Clotheslines
Eight years ago, I was pregnant and we were searching for a house to buy. The market was crazy at the time, interest rates were high.. but we took the plunge anyway. When it came down to it, we had to decide between two houses. One larger house on South Street in Lincoln, NE with… Continue reading my lawn mower, my friend
Wren & Starling 