The Return of the “Boo Platter”
I arrive to the elementary school with a giant turtle, Cleopatra, a fairytale queen, and a cat in tow. We merge with a Rubik’s Cube, a jellyfish, and a 1920’s flapper. Today, children will parade around the school and enjoy a Halloween party in their classrooms. Parents bring treats for these parties, and once again, […]
It Looks Like Cotton
This morning, the snow on the trees looks just like cotton on a hot, blue-sky summer day. Cotton or Snow? I love the way the mind works by analogy and association. I know the beauty of this tree branch because of what it approximates: it’s like something else. Is this what it means to […]
Perfect Packing Snow (Pictures of the First Snowfall)
It’s snowing! We scatter about the house, looking for mittens and boots. This first snow, according to the Artist Friend, is particularly generous. It falls in great big glops, and so we know we’ve got packing snow. You don’t need to tell a child what to do in packing snow like this. They make […]
Look For Your Gift Today
Do you ever have a morning when you don’t want to get out of bed but you finally do and then you don’t want to get out of the shower but you finally do? You slug along and wonder how in the world this day could be any good. I’ve had so many days like […]
Your Best Habit
On the walk to school, my rurally-raised neighbor (who knows everything about the land) comments upon the beauty of various trees’ habits. She informs me that a tree’s habit refers to its overall shape. She identifies trees by their habits. Some trees squat and spread lower to the ground: Others rise tall into the sky […]
You’ve Got to See This
My neighbor has a gift. She’s an artist, but nobody really knows–at least we didn’t–until she began to show us all. Her drawings make me so happy. They evoke something in me that the real object doesn’t. I realize I’m just looking at a drawing of a little girl’s shoes, but something about this artwork […]
While It Lasts
Autumn arrives and fades so quickly. Already, some trees surrender their leaves. The weather report predicts snow for later this week. Snow! I’m never ready for it. All day, I’m reminded of these glorious colors that do not last. I look up from my life, and time has fallen around my feet like leaves from […]
Turning the World’s Worst Weed into the Best Bouquet
As I walk in the field, I pick my way around the worst weed. The farmer tells me it’s called Velvetleaf, and, as far as crop weeds go, it’s an absolute terror: competitive, nutrient-draining, murderous of other plants, and just plain ugly. Velvetleaf in the Field You can’t destroy Velvetleaf. The seeds stay viable […]
It’s a Grand Pumpkin Patch
We drive out to the pumpkin patch. Pumpkin Patch I let my daughter loose against the Autumn landscape. She finds the one she wants, and it weighs as much as she does. Grandpa carries it back to the tractor. With pumpkins this size, we’ll be eating roasted pumpkin seeds for weeks. I […]
Go and Find a Contra Dance
Last night, I attend my first contra dance. My own husband has invited the family (including my parents!) out dancing. Contra dance, otherwise known as patterned folk dancing, has great potential to create a fool out of me. You know how uncoordinated I am. I resist going until the very last minute. But I know […]