Out and About
Yesterday, I was out and about: radio interviews, meetings, concerts, and, of course, delivering Christmas cookies to the English Department since this is the last week of class. So I never blogged. I didn’t even think about blogging. (Don’t worry, I won’t stop blogging!) Sometimes, you’re writing. Other times, you’re living. Sometimes I live through […]
Something So Special for Your Neighborhood: Soup and a Story
Last night, I hosted a few neighbors for a Monday night “Soup and Stories” evening. After years of wondering what I should do next–after Monday Night Neighborhood Fitness and the Walk-to-School campaign ended– I prayed and prayed about how to connect with friends on a regular basis to share our lives. My fellow Italian Mama […]
A Quote I Show My Students
I invite my students to listen to, and read, David Foster Wallace’s “This is Water,” the commencement speech he delivered to graduating seniors of Kenyon College in 2005. While full of many lines to discuss, I love this one in particular: “Twenty years after my own graduation, I have come gradually to understand that the […]
Nonstop Cookies
Right about now, we bake cookies almost every day till Christmas. It’s wonderful! The whole house smells like Christmas cookies. We bake cookies to keep our Christmas cookie platter full, but we also bake cookies to give away. I still use the same basic sugar cookie recipe with the almond icing that I’ve used for […]
A Special Moment with President H.W. Bush
I was in high school and visiting my friend in Kennebunkport, Maine as her father worked with the White House press corps. President Bush hosted a picnic at his vacation home for the press corps and their families, so I found myself here in this photograph. It was a lovely day. A boat ride, picnic, […]
Some Wisdom From a Few Novembers Ago
I often read back over blog posts to remind myself of wisdom gleaned and all those moments of living with flair. If ever I feel off-center, like I’ve lost my way, I go back to certain blog posts that reminded me of truth. This morning, it’s a post from November 2016. As I read it, […]
The Right Timing to Talk
In my advanced writing courses, we talk a lot about the right timing for writing. Why this? Why now? Is this the best time to discuss this issue? Why? I think about my own lesson this morning when I want to address some issues with my teen. I think about my list of motherly “suggestions” […]
Losing a Sense of Time During Creative Moments
I’m so curious about the phenomenon of losing our concept of time because we’re so involved in some creative process. One of the ways I know I’m striking the right chord in my work is this feeling of losing a sense of time. Normally, I manage every minute of the day; I’m always aware of what […]
5 Good Things: Try It
Years and years ago, I joined the Grace in Small Things community with the challenge to record 5 things a day I wanted to thank God for. Since today I woke up after not sleeping well, endured the bitter cold on campus, and scraped my car against concrete in the parking garage, I needed the […]
Daily Blessing
Lately I’ve been taking very seriously my identity as part of a royal priesthood from 1 Peter 2:9. Among so many other wonderful duties, priests pronounce blessings. I want to make it part of my daily practice to speak blessings over my children, my husband, my neighbors, and anyone the Lord brings to mind. I […]