What happens upon returning home after a week at a writing and meditation retreat? I realized soon upon reentry that what I lack most is discipline. But I also lack people around me engaged in the same thing. There is no group dynamic, no army to make me fall into step. To wake up in … Continue reading On Meditation and a Dog’s Batting Paw
It Always Goes Back to the Botulism
I poured the oats into the wooden bowl and sprinkled on some cinnamon. I added pecan halves next, absentmindedly breaking them in half again, noting how much crispier they were then the ones I had used in the granola the week before. Those were rubbery, softer. I wasn’t sure if I should have used them. … Continue reading It Always Goes Back to the Botulism
Casting on Relationships
Even in the tree lined suburbs of America, where opportunity abounds, there is still a need for the supportive fabric that emerges when people gather together. It preserves the oldest roadmap of time—the stories of others as a compass for all.
Pudding Bridge
(excerpt from the winter of rice and dal) I can pinpoint the moment when my dread of cooking abated, when I stopped saying the sentence “When my kids grow up and leave I am never cooking dinner again.” The meal that holds all the pressure-- from research that declares it as the most important family time … Continue reading Pudding Bridge
“You Should Read This Book”
We have this occasional exchange, usually at night, my husband and me. “You should read this book,” he or I say, whoever gets to their bookmarked page first. And then we go off to our separate lands on the pages in front of us and leave it at that. We know it is probably unlikely. … Continue reading “You Should Read This Book”
Wool as Witness
I wasn’t yet five when I arrived at my first knitting shop with my mom and her knitting bag of confusing shapes that eventually turned into a sweater. The shop was tucked into the side of a hill and the door seemed perched on a slope. I noticed that there wasn’t a sign from the … Continue reading Wool as Witness
Facing My Fear of “Not Getting It”
It’s hard to admit that I often dread the process of learning new things. I worry that I won’t get “it,” whatever the “it” is. This is why I quietly cringed recently when my son opened up a birthday gift from his brother, the board game Settlers of Catan. I knew he would eventually ask … Continue reading Facing My Fear of “Not Getting It”
This is a True Story About a Cat
I got my first cat, Tiger, when I was five, after three long years of waiting. Five was the age my mom said would be old enough to help. Around this time I also started my search for the meaning of life because I had come to understand the meaning of mortality, a frightening concept. … Continue reading This is a True Story About a Cat
Stopping by a Kitchen on a Winter’s Morning
I wondered if I had miscalculated as I stood in June’s kitchen after dropping by unannounced at 7:15 am. She was still in her pajamas, which were actually her husband’s old boxer shorts. Her house was on my way home from taking my youngest to school. I knew she’d be awake because her husband … Continue reading Stopping by a Kitchen on a Winter’s Morning
Granola
Homemade granola is easy. Line a cookie sheet with parchment. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl mix a container of oats and a combination of nuts that you like. I use about a cup of sliced almonds and two handfuls of chopped pecans or walnuts or both. Sprinkle in about a half teaspoon … Continue reading Granola
