Live Wide
My daughter tells me I must come to the garden to see another kind of butterfly. He’s golden. Golden Spotted Butterfly His wing pattern looks more leopard than insect, more African than Pennsylvania backyard. On top, he’s a tiger, but on the bottom, he’s a giraffe or spotted fawn. Up close, his compound eye reminds […]
What a Child Needs to Hear from You
I’m visiting with my dear friend, the one who told me that the sign of a happy childhood is dirty children. This is my same friend who raises five children without a television set or computer games. I’m always eager for what new parenting advice she’ll impart. Today, I watch and listen. Over and over […]
Increase the Fun
At the pool, my youngest begs me to go down the water slides with her. I have that feeling that I’m too old to do this sort of thing. But then I see something that changes my mind. The Italian Mama goes down the slides whether her children are with her or not. She […]
The Nectar Made for You
We stand by the neighbor’s flowerbeds and watch butterflies dance and skip across the petunias. Black Swallowtail in the Petunias I learn that this butterfly tastes the flowers with her feet to decide whether she wants to drink the nectar here. The dance we observe is a taste-test (who knew?). Next, she unfolds her proboscis […]
Does He Really?
I’m reading the forward to Immaculee Ilibagiza’s memoir, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. I’m overcome by this quote by Dr. Wayne Dyer: “The laws of the material world do not apply in the presence of the God-realized.” I have no idea what I’m getting into when I read Immaculee’s account. It’s […]
Why We Need a “Yes!” Day
It’s only 7:30 PM, and I’m falling asleep. My oldest daughter climbs up beside me on the bed and says, “Mom, you really need a Yes! day. That’s what you need! Remember the Yes! day?” Oh, I remember. A few years ago, I felt like every word out of my mouth was, “No.” I’d scream […]
My Kitchen Table and the Snowspeeder
Neighbor boys introduce me to the intricacies of Star Wars. They spread Legos across my counter top and build V-Wing Starfighters. I learn the whole story beginning with Qui Gon Jinn and ending with Luke Skywalker. I’m thrilled that my kitchen now houses the Legos snowspeeder from Episode V (the boys alert me that […]
What a Change of Background Can Do
I realize today that I love experimenting with background. The word technically means the “scenery behind the main object of contemplation, especially when perceived as a framework for it.” We distinguish objects and circumstances–understanding them properly–because we measure them against their background. Live with Flair is my background. A different background changes how we understand […]
It Doesn’t Look Like the Picture Says It’s Supposed To
My oldest wants to make a raspberry cheesecake. No problem! We have a cookbook for children that shows delightful pictures of perfect daughters pureeing raspberries and making lovely designs on their cheesecakes. My daughters make a mess of a creation. At least the cheesecake is actually in the pie pan. My daughters say, “It’s […]
Where You Shouldn’t Go and What You Shouldn’t Do
A neighbor knocks on our door and begs us to come pick his peaches. “Take all you want!” They have so many peaches falling off their trees that the ground reeks of them. “But beware of the yellow jackets,” he says ominously and then departs for his travels. I take my youngest daughter to the […]