On Grout and Wooden Trains and Things That Last
Posted:
February 03, 2022
Under:
Family and Parenting
A few weeks ago, entirely by accident, I learned something about my steam mop. (How’s that for a riveting lede? I bet you’re on the edge of your seat.) There was a stubborn bit of something stuck to the floor, so I removed the mop head and used the scrub brush at the bottom of … Continue reading "On Grout and Wooden Trains and Things That Last"
Read MoreOn Waiting Well
Posted:
January 28, 2022
Under:
This Thing Called Life
Ages ago, when Jonathan and I were not yet married and were drudging our way through a year of long-distance relationship, he sent me a Valentine’s Day gift in an opaque plastic box. (Before I say more, I should explain: at this point in my life, gifts were not a strong suit for me. Oh, … Continue reading "On Waiting Well"
Read MoreGreat Expectations, or, On Having Time
Posted:
January 21, 2022
Under:
Family and Parenting
Once upon a time, I had the best of intentions. I was going to revitalize my blog by writing from the road. Freed from our normal daily routine, I was sure I would have so much more time. I would use that time to share charming family photos, sweet anecdotes, and poignant observations while also … Continue reading "Great Expectations, or, On Having Time"
Read MoreOn the Road: Perfect Imperfection
Posted:
June 08, 2021
Under:
Family and Parenting
The Mesa Top Loop Road in Mesa Verde National Park is a six-mile driving tour of Ancient Puebloan culture and history. There are some 10-12 stops along the way, each of which provides a window into the lives of the people who once called the mesa their home. Somewhere around stop four or five, a … Continue reading "On the Road: Perfect Imperfection"
Read MoreOn the Road: Whirlwind Photo Tour Edition
Posted:
June 04, 2021
Under:
Family and Parenting
We’re two three [I, ahem, started writing this last week … ] and a half weeks into this adventure, and I haven’t posted nearly as often as I had envisioned. To be honest, I haven’t done many of the things I had planned to do. Helping the girls keep a travel journal? Fail. Keeping detailed … Continue reading "On the Road: Whirlwind Photo Tour Edition"
Read MoreOn the Road: At Home in the Middle-of-Nowhere Nevada
Posted:
May 18, 2021
Under:
This Thing Called Life
The western USA contains vast expanses of land, wide-open valleys dotted with sagebrush and tumbleweeds and basalt. If you aren’t paying attention, if you choose not to look too closely, you might be fooled into thinking the only living creatures are your fellow travelers, zipping past on the long stretches of black asphalt. The desert … Continue reading "On the Road: At Home in the Middle-of-Nowhere Nevada"
Read MoreChoosing This Moment: On the Road Edition (and an Important Announcement!)
Posted:
May 16, 2021
Under:
Family and Parenting
Seven days ago, Jonathan and I did something that either makes us adventurous or crazy or both, depending on how you see things: We loaded our three small children into our not-as-big-as-it-once-seemed SUV, hitched up our 145-square-foot travel trailer, and set off on a six-week cross-country journey. I’m inclined to say we’re adventurous, and fun-loving, … Continue reading "Choosing This Moment: On the Road Edition (and an Important Announcement!)"
Read MoreMiles’s Guide to a Successful Walk
Posted:
February 02, 2021
Under:
Family and Parenting
Last night, I typed the final words of a first draft of a novel. It’s scary to tell you this, because I know how terrible it is right now. The writing is bad. The plot is convoluted. It has more clichés than a politician, more contradictions than my two girls’ versions of why they were … Continue reading "Miles’s Guide to a Successful Walk"
Read MoreWe Break Things: In Which I Make Myself a Liar. Perhaps.
Posted:
October 30, 2020
Under:
Loving God
After quiet time yesterday, Katie found me scribbling in a notebook. With thoughts of the upcoming election rattling around in my head, inspired, somewhat, by responses to my last post, and goaded by an assignment I’d recently given to my students, I was eking out a sonnet. “Mama,” she said as she wedged herself into … Continue reading "We Break Things: In Which I Make Myself a Liar. Perhaps."
Read MoreOn Poetry and Politics
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"
Read More