It was a simple request, but her unembellished words made the hairs on the back of my arms line up in militant fashion, immediately creating a unified front against the bitter elements howling at the windows. “Ya wanna walk with me to get the mail?” Two of my daughters, this one included, have an unusually high […]
Silencing my complaining Read More »
Winter is being more stubborn than typical this New England March. We thought we were nearing the end of the area’s coldest winter in 137 years. So I wasn’t overly eager about an early morning salutation from the fair, white-haired maiden of winter. Even though she did greet me with the pink, snow-foggy nod of a sunrise behind her.
Joy in the waiting Read More »
Yeah, it can be downright hard being a mom. Moms of young ones are always exhausted and certain that their feeble attempts to raise little ones will somehow collapse in failure one day. Moms of middle schoolers are continually wondering if they’re doing “enough.” And moms of teens somedays forget that they care about this
Very Worth the Wait Read More »
An old farmhouse can teach one many hard lessons, but that’s never more true than in a New England winter. The way I see it, winter in these parts is like a rigid schoolmaster, offering daily lessons of the stark, difficult work needed for survival. Thankfully, some days she can be a gentle mentor who rewards your labor
3 Lessons I Learned my First Winter in an Old Farmhouse Read More »
I often realize I’m not listening. I need to make a conscience effort to really listen. But I’ve learned that I could never answer the question, “How can my child make money?” if I didn’t first listen. Really listen. I always have too much on my mind. Maybe that’s to be expected, since I homeschool
Secrets to help your child be an entrepreneur Read More »
We’re walking down our road, which twists like a winding snake stretching out parts to warm in the sun, when she tells me. She reveals that fall is her favorite smell. I’m not surprised that the slightly musky aroma of damp leaves being warmed in the sun, then cooled in the breeze, only to be
An Iridescent Dance Read More »
Today the friend I’ve called “best” since middle school turns 29. Again. For the 16th time. And, no, our hair isn’t quite so big now-a-days as it was in the nineties… In high school, she drove a used, red Pulsar that smelled of cigars and cherry car freshener. But I didn’t mind the smell, because the seats
Friend: (n) One Who Sharpens Read More »
Bittersweet. Summer’s final breath. Boxes, a mini fridge, and baking pans neatly stacked in her van. An exuberant college Junior ready to return to friends and professors and her life, apart from me. This time of year always reminds me that amidst my feelings of sad separation spring joyous pride and immense gratefulness that God helped me
Shards of Little Moments Read More »
I was not ready to pry my fingers off of our family’s sublime summer experiences and box them away as memories. I’m not saying it was an easy summer. In fact, as we ushered in May, we were homeless, with all of our belongings in 3 vehicles and 3 different storage units scattered in a 60-mile-perimeter triangle
One Felicitous Season Read More »
Surely it had been bathed in the light of the Harvest Moon hundreds of times before–our little red cape that sits at the bend in the road. There where the lake greets the river in rolling melodies, spilling over the dam, the full moons of many Septembers have certainly rolled their bright lullabies over the humble clapboard walls
