This fall, I’m teaching Creative Writing to a couple of high school students. During our introductory class on poetry, one of the girls asked me to share some of my poems with them. I told her I didn’t write much poetry. She asked me why not, and my mind stuttered on the question. Why not, … Continue reading "On Poetry and Politics"
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Posted:
September 06, 2020
Under:
Loving Others
They’re tearing down trees. I can hear it through the window as I write: the steady drone of heavy equipment, the beep-beep-beep of a truck in reverse, the crashing and grinding of trunks and branches being stacked and chipped. The powers-that-be have decided our scenic rural highway is far too dangerous in its current state, … Continue reading "On Road Construction and Political Conversation and Choosing to Listen"
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Posted:
July 31, 2020
Under:
Loving God
About a month ago, I bought sunflowers. Our local CSA had them on offer for $1 a stem, five-gallon buckets full of bright beauty, cut fresh that morning. I’m no home-decorator. Flowers aren’t my love language. I don’t fawn over bouquets. But they caught my eye when I picked up our veggies for the week, … Continue reading "On Sunflowers, Gratitude, and Joy"
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Posted:
January 09, 2020
Under:
Family and Parenting
Miles, in a surprising turn of events, slept well last night. Because the sleep gods are merciless, mercurial beings, however, he was the only person in this house who did. Sleep well, that is. Sometime between 8 p.m. and midnight, both girls’ digestive systems went into full revolt and determined to empty themselves by any … Continue reading "All Mama Wants is a Silent Night, Part Two"
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November 16, 2017
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Family and Parenting
~Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life, as inspired by the women at Like Mother, Like Daughter~ {Pretty} If you’ve hung around this corner of the web for any amount of time, you’ll know that I love autumn. I love the soups and the stews, the ciders and the hot teas, the sweaters and the … Continue reading "{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real} – When I’m Not My Best Self"
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Posted:
October 20, 2017
Under:
Family and Parenting
~Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life, as inspired by the women at Like Mother, Like Daughter~ Confession: As you may notice by the outfits, most of these moments were captured on the same day. The past week has been a bit crazy: Jonathan was gone for a quick weekend work trip, and Abby had … Continue reading "{PHFR} – Beautiful Girls in a Not-Always-Beautiful World"
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October 12, 2017
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Family and Parenting
~Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life, as inspired by the women at Like Mother, Like Daughter~ {Pretty} I don’t consider myself a morning person, exactly, but, because Abby wakes at 5:30 (and then resettles) on a regular basis, I find myself appreciating the quiet hush of a household still sleeping. I spend some time … Continue reading "PHFR – This Place Where We Live"
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July 27, 2017
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Family and Parenting
~Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life, as inspired by the women at Like Mother, Like Daughter~ {Pretty} More food, Jenn? Really? Yes, really. I mean, c’mon. How could I not include food? All of that beautiful bounty came from my garden (which happened through no doing of my own). And then there are … Continue reading "{Pretty, Happy, Funny, Real}"
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Posted:
January 19, 2017
Under:
Loving God
We hosted a dinner gathering recently. We opened our doors and friends came, bringing with them smiles and laughter and dishes to share. We enjoyed delicious food and excellent company and uplifting conversation. After dinner, the kids played together in the living room, their shrieks and their games prompting grins from the adults (and, on occasion, … Continue reading "On Cultivating Peace"
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Posted:
October 29, 2016
Under:
Loving Others
This post is a part of my “Board Book Beauty – Savoring the small as I read to my toddler” series. To see all of the posts in the series, go here. I read Corduroy to Katie for the first time recently. It was an instant hit. In the intervening days, we’ve read it many, many times. She enjoys … Continue reading "Corduroy"
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