Taking a Mr. Rogers Quote to Heart
I didn’t talk to my children about Boston this morning because I didn’t know how. Then, back in my office on campus, I view a quote from Mr. Rogers on my twitter feed. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for […]
Who Can Do It First?
Sometimes, on the most monotonous of days, I challenge myself to find the flair in the most ordinary of tasks. My most ordinary task today? Probably lugging the garbage cans and recycling bins back to the garage since Monday is garbage day in our town. Rallying to do this task, I prepare myself for squeezing […]
Advancing Through Levels: Back to the Pond
We travel once again to the secret pond. Little Girl in the Woods At first, you don’t see anything but a reflection. So you look deeper until you see. Salamanders and frogs blend in by design. Stay still and watch, and soon nature rewards you. We find more frog eggs to observe, and my daughter […]
To the Cynic
I’m studying cynicism. It’s the philosophy of the day amongst many college students, and I wonder how to combat it. Cynicism is trendy. It’s so very sophisticated to be detached, sarcastic, pessimistic, suspicious, negative, and bitter. It seems so intellectual. The cynic recognizes the fake because it’s all fake to her. It’s all hopeless and pointless. […]
Just Afraid
I ask students to characterize themselves by completing the sentence, “I’m the type of person who. . .” Sometimes students finish the sentence and then offer the story behind how they developed that particular personality trait. Once a student read her sentence about how mean, abrasive, and dominant she was. She was fully aware of […]
Was It You?
On the walk to school this morning, during the hardest uphill climb, everyone stops to notice a row of tulips. They mysteriously appeared to line our path some time in the night. Was it you? Was it you? We ask and accuse one other of guerrilla gardening. Somebody bothered to do it, and for that, […]
Just Start
I attempt to motivate students to write all week long. It requires high energy. I sweat. I sip iced coffee to sustain me as I defend the semicolon. I stretch out and cool down in between lessons on sentence variation and mood. I push my hair out of my face, catch my breath, and make […]
You Already Have It
My friend sends me a quote from Jon Acuff: “In your own chase to figure out your life, make sure you haven’t already caught what it is you’re looking for.” I stop and ask myself what it is I really, really want. I realize I have it already. In Ephesians 3, we read how we have […]
We’re Made to Marvel: Photos of the Secret Vernal Pond
Once the snow melts in the forest, we return to search for the secret vernal pond. We’re not certain of its appearance, but we travel quickly, snapping sticks and maneuvering around the thorny vines. Last time we checked, nothing but frozen peaks of muddy wetland, hidden by ice and snow, greeted us. The woods feel […]
The Return of the Extravagant Omelet: Artichoke and Crab
I’ve rediscovered my love of omelets. The whole concept of folding in all my favorite veggies or cheeses into a nice little pocket of protein yumminess just makes me happy. Plus, you can cut up everything the night before and make little baggies of chopped onion, pepper, and mushrooms to pour over your cooking eggs. […]