Spring cleaning...a chore or a pleasure? A time to restore or a time to clear out the old nest and weave a new one? The birds frequenting my backyard have no trouble doing the work, but we humans often need a nudge. Over the past two months, I've evaluated the incredible accumulation of 'stuff' in our drawers and closets, weighing what I have to have and what I can live without. Only makes sense to do the same with the clutter of my writing life. [...]
When the leaves begin to fall and the prairie turns brown and gold, I stare from the porch, unable to resist the urge to strap on a backpack and wander into the unknown. Amid the demands of life in the 21st Century, there are days I wish a wizard would turn up at my door, invite himself for tea, and invite me to go adventuring. Of course, our suburban lawns and urban landscapes rarely lend themselves to such fanciful walks, but the mind is a [...]
It's snowing, and the child in me dances for joy. Being a December birthday girl, my earliest memories remain infused with the delight and wonder of snowfall, the way it covers all the imperfections we humans have created on the earth, the way it prepares us to believe in miracles. I realize this love of cold and snow is one of my eccentricities, but I refuse to surrender it. During my teaching career, this wintry month always created a special spirit in the classroom. Students [...]
I admit to trepidation in trying to form a list of things to be thankful for during this strange, maddening, sad, unprecedented (how often have we heard that word over the last four years?) time. So, I'll start with the things that have enriched these past nine months of house hiding: wine, both white and red; ice cream; movies on streaming services; virtual streaming of the arts; posts from friends on social media; a husband who likes to cook fancy; the nature park and pond [...]
One of my favorite October rituals is carving pumpkins for Halloween. As soon as those orange gourds appear on the gardening lots, I experience a visceral need to stroll the fields, weighing the choices. It is not an easy decision. Size, weight, and surface area are integral to the creation of funny, spooky or downright creepy pumpkin faces. Once the selection has occurred, I load the potential jack-o-lanterns on my cart and, Sisyphus-like, push them toward the car. Once home, I spend more time [...]