Embracing All the Coziest Things
I love watching other people feel cozy. Last night, I attend a college Bible study of girls reading Guarded by Christ. I arrive at the leader’s apartment, and I’m immediately impressed with the coziness of college girls in their flannel shirts, PSU sweatshirts, and fleece leggings. I notice the furry moccasins, the holiday socks, and the […]
The Coast Is Clear
Today I hear someone announce that “the coast is clear” when ushering students into the classroom. I can’t remember the last time I used the expression. I was mostly like a child: Maybe I whispered it during a game of Man Hunt or Kick-the-Can or Hide & Seek. Maybe I cried it out to friends […]
“An Artist Is Never Poor”
Last night, I watch the 1987 Danish film, Babette’s Feast (it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film that year). I hear the main character say this wonderful line: “An artist is never poor.” I thought of the day I realized I was rich in poems, in birds, in friendship, and in beauty. […]
Loving German Kühne Barrel Pickles
Every once in a while, I remember to pick up some barrel pickles if I see them at a grocery story that imports delicious pickles. I love German pickles, especially the Kühne brand. I love having little things to love–like pickles. My daughter and I eat a few from the squatty jar, and I tell her […]
My Favorite Assignment: A Wondering Essay
For the final assignment for my advanced writers at Penn State–after moving through signature stories, controversy and persuasion, opinion pieces, and professional materials for job applications, students attempt the classic humanities essay of writing to sift or understand what they think about some curious thing. It’s a wondering essay. It’s an essay rooted in fascination […]
Fallen and Beautiful
I love the day before the leaf blowers come, before the families with their rakes assemble, and before the autumn wind swirls and winter snow falls. On this day, the tree drops her leaves, and we see how beautiful they remain, even fallen. In high places or low places, we still reflect beauty. And sometimes, […]
Make Yourself a Teacher
I show my students the research regarding the importance of teaching information in order to retain that knowledge. In fact, if you study with the mindset that you’ll teach the data later–to a friend or a parent for example–your brain employs a powerful strategy to remember the facts. It remembers key points. It synthesizes data. […]
Unexpected Snow
Today, fluffy white globs fell upon our neighborhood. Snow! We haven’t even raked our yard from falling autumn leaves, and the snow dared to come unannounced. It’s beautiful and astonishing, and I realize how much unexpected things for which I’m not prepared often usher in beauty and the kind of pause I need for worship. […]
After the Evaluation
I love the moment when a student wants to improve an essay after the grade comes in—not for a higher grade or for any other reason than the satisfaction of working on a piece of writing they love. Twice it happens like this: a student comes in to talk about changing this or that, improving […]
Write While the Pasta Cooks
Today I had a great conversation with a younger writer who wants to finish a manuscript while also maintaining a full-time job and raising a family with young children. We laugh about writing in the nooks and crannies of the day like while the pasta cooks on the stove. I think about writing in between […]