I’m in phase one of getting back into my jeans. This means I can wear them for about fifteen minutes before getting in a bad mood about the way they have gotten tight in my upper thigh area. Which starts me thinking about whether or not all that sourdough bread was worth it. It felt … Continue reading I’m in Phase One of Getting Back into My Jeans
life lessons
The Secret Fuel of Creative Pursuits
My newest sewing machine, a gift from my mother, is proof of her enduring optimism. It is a replacement for the one she gave me twenty years ago that I somehow got stuck in reverse on one of the only projects I used it for -- a few seams on hand towels. And I actually … Continue reading The Secret Fuel of Creative Pursuits
When My Non-Essential Skill Became the Most Essential Thing of All
A couple weeks ago, right before the pandemic restrictions took hold, I stood in the bread aisle of our local grocery store and was surprised by the fact that the bread shelves were empty. No stacks of English muffins, potato bread, hot dog rolls. No stone ground wheat, rye or spelt. I’d strolled down the … Continue reading When My Non-Essential Skill Became the Most Essential Thing of All
The Thing I Hadn’t Seen Because I’d Never Really Looked
It was an attempt to get them to sit there longer – my reading of story books at the dinner table. I had several little boys and a husband who worked late and a lack of patience at day’s end. I also had a picky eater, the tipping point of it all. He … Continue reading The Thing I Hadn’t Seen Because I’d Never Really Looked
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”
The Physics of Giving a Chicken a Bath
The white pasty butt on the chicken was still there in the morning. And that evening too. It continued on for weeks, despite all my wishing that it would suddenly disappear. No one had warned me about this when I inquired about the live edged, hand crafted chicken coop that would add a touch of … Continue reading The Physics of Giving a Chicken a Bath
Confession
I was packing up for our annual family camp trip and considering some options in case of rainy days. I had two new books I was excited to read and those were in. Other years I had brought my guitar along with piles of sheet music that I was struggling to learn --but it had … Continue reading Confession
For the Last Time
Published on ScaryMommy.com (Club Mid) as Washing my Son's Hair for the Last Time With icecream, you have some warning when you are getting to the last bit. You can emotionally prepare bowl by bowl and when things are looking close to the end you can go out and get some more --or at the … Continue reading For the Last Time