Little Hunting Creek
I’m twelve years old and venturing out on to Little Hunting Creek–a tributary to the Potomac River. It’s winter. The ice cracks into little shards beneath my feet and gives way to creek bed mud frozen into little mounds and peaks like black whipped cream. I wonder how cold it must have been in the night […]
Drain Catch
Our drain catch broke for our kitchen sink–the sink with no garbage disposal where catching debris really matters. You don’t know how much you appreciate the drain catch until the drain catch isn’t there. It was a simple moment of thinking about clogged pathways, flooding basins, and a drain not equipped for certain experiences and materials. […]
Living From Test Taking Strategies
Aunt Melissa, the Wise Big Sister, recently coached my youngest daughter in better test-taking skills. In our public school, we have many assessments–both in reading in math–that can quickly overwhelm students. Melissa serves so many students as a Reading Specialist, and she’s especially gifted in offering strategies for success on multiple choice tests. She’s been teaching us […]
Passing Down the Recipes: The Story of the Caramel Cake
Today is a big day in my life. I made the traditional Caramel Cake that’s been passed down from Mrs. John Brown who was a friend of Great Grandmother Johnson (of Fuqua-Varina, North Carolina), and whose daughter, Kitty Lane, made for her family every Christmas. It’s an ancient, treasured recipe that my daughters talk about […]
Starting Your Wisdom Journal for the New Year
This morning I have a moment to write down some words of wisdom I heard recently. I remember that from the time I was 18 years old, I recorded words of wisdom in my bedside journal. In order to make it into the journal, the statement had to help me understand God or myself better […]
Until You Said It
This week, I spoke several times about how I’m growing in my faith and my personal challenges. I prayed that God would give me the words to articulate elusive biblical concepts with clarity. And I prayed that God would help me talk about my own soul and what it feels like to battle dark moods […]
The Best Seat for the New Year
Today I’ve written this post for The Better Mom. Find “The Best Seat for the New Year” here!
All Within the Tight Boundary Line
My daughter received a Spirograph for Christmas. I loved this same toy as a child in the 80’s (and maybe you used one in the 60’s). You basically have a small round circle with another circle inside that you stick your pen into. You rotate the small circle inside the bigger one and create the […]
Delivering It
I’m listening to a business leader describe the problem of someone being more sizzle than steak. I start laughing because I love the following expressions describing those who over promise but under deliver: Big hat, no cattle. All tracks, no train. I remember my husband’s advice to under promise and over deliver.
Because of All the Mistakes
We’re talking about knitting, and Grandma shares her secret to becoming so skilled. “It’s because of all the mistakes I corrected. It’s a great way to really learn because you undo the mistake and then do it correctly.” I think about mistakes differently when I remember Grandma’s wisdom.