Between Luddism and addiction
Last night I dreamed I had a smart phone and I was
July 5, 2022
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Discover the journey, tips, and ideas from Claudia Yeoh’s writing desk.
Last night I dreamed I had a smart phone and I was
I’ve been having COVID dreams lately. This didn’t happen to me for
Everybody else’s families had been out at the ballfields for nearly
This might come as a shock to many people. (Brace yourselves, sisters!) Occasionally…very
Because the spiritual works of mercy have always been a little tough to
Why is it so easy to see or hear one detail and
At present, the web is a hornet’s nest of outrage over the
Sometimes I think you guys must get tired of me saying the
I am the weirdo in the room who doesn’t use a mobile
My title today probably evokes an instant reaction. Everyone is well aware
Friday afternoon, Nicholas sulked and glowered and procrastinated and found a dozen
The past two weeks. It has almost been too much to bear,
To my fellow Christians who are up in arms about the so-called
This article, “Tinder And the Dawn of the Dating Apocalypse,” was shared on
Siri stopped talking to us when we crossed the Michigan border. Christian
The timing seemed a little ironic. An old post, called “Words Matter:
We were sitting in front of the TV one night when a
In the midst of the online debate about Ferguson last November, someone
Three times in recent weeks, I have drawn the ire of other
Every time something bad happens, the biggest topic of (cough-cough) “discussion” is:
“Consent Is Sexy.” That’s what the t shirt said. And clearly, the woman
We are approaching the midpoint of a season meant to focus on
In the spring and early summer of 1994, I was a sophomore
It is no secret to anyone who reads this blog that I
There are times when you walk through the world filled with awe
___1___ It began Tuesday morning, when I pulled into a spot at
Last week I read a news story that really disturbed me. It
A commenter once took issue with a post I wrote about parents’ responsibility
When I was twelve years old, a teenage kid working the ticket
“Mommy, get me some dessert!” Nicholas stood at my right elbow. I
Katy Perry was singing on the radio when Nicholas popped out with,
I’ve spent my writing time the last several days researching literary agents.
First, I am fully aware that many people are going to look
I’ve been reading a lot of women’s fiction lately, and reading it
There’s a blog post making the rounds right now about the dismal
Some words of wisdom from Thomas Merton for your Wednesday. I put
I’ve never had my IQ measured. Have you? I’m not going to
As bloggers, sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. We get so caught
Call it reversals, call it paradox–Christianity is full of them, and they
___1___ “Mommy,” Alex said the other day on the way home from
NPR did a series last week called “Losing Our Religion.” In this
Loading the car to go to the in-laws’ house takes forever. There’s
When the first updates appeared on Friday, I searched Google just enough
I was pulling into Macy’s yesterday afternoon when a story came on
There’s a topic that people of faith spend a lot of time
I don’t understand the aesthetic that governs the catwalk model. The last
Growing up on the farm is on a short list of things
(Stepping onto my soapbox) You know, dads really get shafted, compared to
This weekend, we took a trip to Iowa City. It was the
It began with my sister’s Facebook status: at the Steak & Shake
In case you missed the memo, yesterday was a big day. Mothers
I wasn’t there. I was supervising the little ones at Children’s Liturgy.
It was 6:20 a.m. on Palm Sunday when I smelled smoke. I
I learned more about my son’s first grade class in ten minutes
Every time the next big thing in YA literature comes out, everyone
Click here for Part 1 Click here for Part 2 There’s a
Image via Wikipedia I’ll admit it. I was jealous of Christian. Christian,
I should have realized sooner, I suppose, that sexism begins on day
I want to say that I was a princess kind of girl
I’ve talked before about how I view prolife work, but today I
We were at church, waiting…me, in line for Confession, the children, in
I know this will come as no surprise to those who know
I think it happened because my dishwasher broke. It’s ridiculous, really, that
“Mommy, guess what? Did you know this bracelet was MADE IN CHINA?”
As expected, Harry Potter blew out all the competition on its opening
Almost universally, women—regardless of political, religious or philosophical persuasion—agree that the treatment and portrayal of women in advertising and media is infuriatingly unjust. But what people don’t seem to get is that when you hold up multiple partners and child-proof or premarital sex as a standard of behavior, you automatically reduce women to objects of lust.
I got up on my high horse last week. We’re car shopping,
Yesterday morning, after the big ones were off to school, Nicholas and
If you’ve spent half an hour in my presence, you’ve probably heard
A few random observations about the royal wedding: Why don’t we all
___1___ Since last year, when I gave up blog stats for Lent,
We (or more specifically, Nicholas) are enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,
Ah, the lengths to which we go to preserve the illusions of
Do you go through stages where you keep talking about the same
Just before my alarm went off, 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning,
“Why is the “e” word (evangelism) so hard? How can the Christian
___1___ Wrapping up “Julianna week” here at So Much to Say, So
They say Hollywood keeps making the same movies over and over again.
___1___ Here’s something to listen to. This is a CNS report about Mass
I’ve been singing the national anthem at sporting events for six or
From day one, one of the most intimidating things about parenthood for
I spent the month of December writing a huge article on infertility.
This year, Christian and I decided to make some New Years Resolutions
Image via Wikipedia For the last couple of days, everyone has been
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what
On Monday morning after Christmas, I found this comment, on an earlier
The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to
___1___ Best link of the week, hands down, in honor of
How do I write what I’m feeling without passing judgment? On the
You know how God keeps banging on a theme until you finally
Kauffman Stadium Open House Originally uploaded by smysnbrg At 2:30 on
1. I got a speeding ticket last night. (Yes, Kelley, on the
Here we go again. Did you see the piece in New York
This spring, I had the opportunity to interview Kimberly Hahn for an
I’m going to go out on a limb today and say something
There are some things I will never understand. Oprah’s magazine, for instance.
1. I’ve been having one of those weeks again. One of those
Takes 1-3: Wardrobe Malfunctions 1. On Wednesday morning, we actually got going
Our computer is sick. Yesterday afternoon, quite suddenly, it began popping up
When our family first stepped on the shores of Holland, we used
Uniroyal Tire – Detroit Landmark Originally uploaded by James Marvin Phelps (mandj98)
Sometimes we don’t even pay attention. We spend so much effort looking
It’s just one of those days, folks, so here’s a repost from
It used to be that you went to the movies so you
Note to Target, Kohl’s, Penney’s, et al: Seriously, people. Who are you
1. I have a new blog I want you to visit: http://www.kellehampton.com/.
1. This week I saw two more “make me happy” figure skating
I’m rooting for Brangelina. It goes without saying that relationships in Hollywood
I don’t understand… …why every single spoon made these days is SO
Like Emily at chattingatthesky.com, today I have feverish children and a house
On Thursday, Abigail at Diary of a New Mom nominated me for the
I realized something just now. Call me dense for not realizing it
We spent last week on Longboat Key, Florida with the Basi family,
(Setting: the kitchen at my parents’ farm, three days before Christmas. Me:
My dad has had kidney stones for…a while. I’m not sure how
1. Last Sunday afternoon at nap time, I tiptoed down the hallway
“Is it not possible for us to do with gender, sexuality, and
A few months ago, I learned something I would rather not have
1. The local “Christmas station” plays a sometimes-delightful, often appalling mix of
It happened again on the way to the grocery store. “Mommy,” Alex
1. My sister Andrea once asked where I come up with the
Sunday Snippets is a group of bloggers who gather once each week
It’s happened three times in as many months. The first time, we
Just a few interesting things I ran across this week… http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/153.html –An interesting take
The serious… www.theologyofthebody.blogspot.com/2009/10/gardasil-what-we-knew-all-along.html I can’t find anything more official than this; it seems
Today I want to share a some links that I ran across
Call me paranoid, but I think the toy companies and the battery
I don’t understand how they get store-bought bread to rise in a
It’s tempting, because it’s so easy. We live in a culture where
My critique partners are always scolding me to describe my characters better.
My whole life, I have been a poster child for Catholicism. I
Read this. Wow, what a post. http://justwallpaper.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/an-open-letter-to-those-who-have-been-burned-by-church/
My birthday and I have a very checkered history. On the plus
Right now, Alex and I are reading Little House on the Prairie.
Christian has been coming home for the last three days talking about
I happened upon this feature story this morning in Vox Magazine. Having
There was a day in high school when my car broke down
When a famous person dies, it’s always interesting to see how important
This is not what I wanted to spend my writing time on
Once in a while, it’s nice to go somewhere without internet access
Last week, while searching for new markets for my short story, I
In the last issue of CCL’s Family Foundations, Linda Kracht wrote a
After four months, eight stores, three babysitters and four grandparent interventions, the
“Mommy,” said Alex at lunchtime, “strawberries are red, just like blood.”
The other night, Christian and I watched “Righteous Kill.” For those who
“I take” my baby “to the park…hold it in a blanket,” the
I don’t understand Madonna. Several decades ago, when my grandparents lived in
Last night I dreamed I had a smart phone and I was eating it. Weird, I know. I’ll chalk it up to being in the
I’ve been having COVID dreams lately. This didn’t happen to me for the first six or seven months. I often laid awake feeling great anxiety,
Everybody else’s families had been out at the ballfields for nearly four hours by the time I got back there last night—even the four-year-old
This might come as a shock to many people. (Brace yourselves, sisters!) Occasionally…very occasionally…I do fleetingly think, “Gee, if I had a smart phone right now
Because the spiritual works of mercy have always been a little tough to pin down, I offer this today: The Spiritual Works of Mercy – in
Why is it so easy to see or hear one detail and leap to the worst possible conclusion about a person’s motivations? Why is it
At present, the web is a hornet’s nest of outrage over the light sentence given to the swimmer convicted of rape—and his father’s response—and his
Sometimes I think you guys must get tired of me saying the same things over and over. Like this: The world isn’t black and white.
I am the weirdo in the room who doesn’t use a mobile phone. The sound quality is reason enough—I don’t like having to work so
My title today probably evokes an instant reaction. Everyone is well aware of the nosedive in common courtesy—a baseline standard for treating others with mercy—shown
Friday afternoon, Nicholas sulked and glowered and procrastinated and found a dozen ways to avoid having to–gasp–clean the bathroom sinks. At last I snapped at
The past two weeks. It has almost been too much to bear, all the heartache. All the hatred and the hurting and brokenness everywhere we
To my fellow Christians who are up in arms about the so-called “war on Christmas”: Cut it out. No, really. Just stop. You’re giving all
This article, “Tinder And the Dawn of the Dating Apocalypse,” was shared on my Facebook feed last night. I’ve heard about the hookup culture, but this
Siri stopped talking to us when we crossed the Michigan border. Christian had been worried the entire day about running out of battery, because he’d
The timing seemed a little ironic. An old post, called “Words Matter: A Disability Primer,” was in the process of sending my blog views through
We were sitting in front of the TV one night when a Liberty Mutual commercial came up. “We’ll buy you a car ONE YEAR NEWER
In the midst of the online debate about Ferguson last November, someone I know posted this status update on Facebook: A little provocative, to be
Three times in recent weeks, I have drawn the ire of other drivers. It’s enough to make me soul-search whether the problem really is me.
Every time something bad happens, the biggest topic of (cough-cough) “discussion” is: whose fault is it? It may be a natural human tendency, but it
“Consent Is Sexy.” That’s what the t shirt said. And clearly, the woman wearing thought it was a good slogan. I do not. First of all,
We are approaching the midpoint of a season meant to focus on peace and preparation, yet the moment my children get in the van in
In the spring and early summer of 1994, I was a sophomore in college. I spent the late semester gnashing my teeth about who got
It is no secret to anyone who reads this blog that I am a not a fan of birth control. I think it’s unconscionable that
There are times when you walk through the world filled with awe and joy and gratitude, aware of the wonder, the beauty, the innate goodness
___1___ It began Tuesday morning, when I pulled into a spot at the public library twenty minutes before it opened. I let Michael get in
Last week I read a news story that really disturbed me. It was about a woman who was arrested after leaving her kids in a
A commenter once took issue with a post I wrote about parents’ responsibility to arm their children against the threat of child abuse by teaching children
When I was twelve years old, a teenage kid working the ticket booth at the movie theater told me I could pass for seventeen. I
“Mommy, get me some dessert!” Nicholas stood at my right elbow. I looked pointedly at the pizza in my hand and back at him, but
Katy Perry was singing on the radio when Nicholas popped out with, “Is this song called ‘Tiger Rahr’?” I chuckled inwardly at the way his
I’ve spent my writing time the last several days researching literary agents. When you Google someone’s name, you get a lot of clutter, but if
First, I am fully aware that many people are going to look at this as splitting hairs. I did, until my daughter came along. How
I’ve been reading a lot of women’s fiction lately, and reading it with a more critical eye than is usual for me. As I contemplate
There’s a blog post making the rounds right now about the dismal record of churches, both mega- and traditional, to retain their youth into adulthood.
Some words of wisdom from Thomas Merton for your Wednesday. I put these quotes together from two different chapters of “New Seeds of Contemplation,” in
I’ve never had my IQ measured. Have you? I’m not going to ask people to share results, but I’m curious as to how many of
As bloggers, sometimes we take ourselves too seriously. We get so caught up in the prettiness of our prose and the profundity of our thoughts,
Call it reversals, call it paradox–Christianity is full of them, and they are a sometimes insurmountable stumbling block for people contemplating religious belief. To destroy yourself
___1___ “Mommy,” Alex said the other day on the way home from piano lessons, and then paused. “Huh. I guess I’m old enough to start
NPR did a series last week called “Losing Our Religion.” In this story—the only one I heard in full–the interviewees talked about their ambivalence and
Loading the car to go to the in-laws’ house takes forever. There’s been snow where we’re going, and a lot of it, so we have
When the first updates appeared on Friday, I searched Google just enough to see what everyone was talking about. Then I went into internet withdrawal.
I was pulling into Macy’s yesterday afternoon when a story came on NPR about the food supply, or more accurately the lack thereof, in North
There’s a topic that people of faith spend a lot of time fretting over: what we wear to church. I did a search this morning
I don’t understand the aesthetic that governs the catwalk model. The last several weeks, I’ve spent time in a public mall lounge in front of
Growing up on the farm is on a short list of things that define who I am. My memories are filled with gigantic, buttery harvest
(Stepping onto my soapbox) You know, dads really get shafted, compared to moms. Mothers Day happens during the school year. We bring home potted flowers,
This weekend, we took a trip to Iowa City. It was the first trip in seven years in which we got to choose our destination.
It began with my sister’s Facebook status: at the Steak & Shake where they were eating, a man was being arrested after leaving his baby
In case you missed the memo, yesterday was a big day. Mothers Day is one of those holidays that bears the weight of impossible cultural
I wasn’t there. I was supervising the little ones at Children’s Liturgy. But Alex, my thoughtful, empathetic Alex, was riveted to the missionary’s story of
It was 6:20 a.m. on Palm Sunday when I smelled smoke. I sat trapped in my chair by the open window, Michael nursing greedily after
I learned more about my son’s first grade class in ten minutes on the highway than I’ve learned all year at the dinner table. We
Every time the next big thing in YA literature comes out, everyone has to weigh in on the relative merits (or lack thereof). Is it
Click here for Part 1 Click here for Part 2 There’s a Gospel passage in which Jesus says no man gives his child a snake
Image via Wikipedia I’ll admit it. I was jealous of Christian. Christian, with his long history of ethnic traditions and the procession of five-syllable ancestral
I should have realized sooner, I suppose, that sexism begins on day one. But I’m not going in the direction you might think. No, today
I want to say that I was a princess kind of girl when I was little…but that’s not precisely accurate. More accurate to say I
I’ve talked before about how I view prolife work, but today I have the honor of guest posting over at The Practicing Catholic on the
We were at church, waiting…me, in line for Confession, the children, in the pews, waiting for me. The older two sat quietly reading, but Nicholas
I know this will come as no surprise to those who know our tendency to plan, plan, plan, but we have already started Christmas shopping.
I think it happened because my dishwasher broke. It’s ridiculous, really, that one appliance can become so indispensible that one starts to obsess, not only
“Mommy, guess what? Did you know this bracelet was MADE IN CHINA?” I turned around and saw Alex in the back seat of the van,
As expected, Harry Potter blew out all the competition on its opening weekend. In anticipation of the big event, last week’s Post Dispatch devoted three
Almost universally, women—regardless of political, religious or philosophical persuasion—agree that the treatment and portrayal of women in advertising and media is infuriatingly unjust. But what people don’t seem to get is that when you hold up multiple partners and child-proof or premarital sex as a standard of behavior, you automatically reduce women to objects of lust.
I got up on my high horse last week. We’re car shopping, you know, and Christian and I were having a disagreement about how expensive
Yesterday morning, after the big ones were off to school, Nicholas and I walked up to the neighborhood playground. I leaned against the stairwell of
If you’ve spent half an hour in my presence, you’ve probably heard me go off on the subject of safety and children. The modern obsession
A few random observations about the royal wedding: Why don’t we all wear hats like they do in Britain? Stoplights go from green to yellow
___1___ Since last year, when I gave up blog stats for Lent, I have tried to be less obsessed with tracking hits. But I check
We (or more specifically, Nicholas) are enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which sends one book a month. The last two have been sibling photo
Ah, the lengths to which we go to preserve the illusions of childhood. Two weeks before Easter, they wrote a letter to the Easter Bunny
Do you go through stages where you keep talking about the same topic again and again, wrestling with it until you finally resolve it? For
Just before my alarm went off, 5:30 a.m. on a Sunday morning, I had the most amazing dream. We were attending Mass at the Newman
“Why is the “e” word (evangelism) so hard? How can the Christian faith be something you keep to yourself … or keep for yourself?” – Tweeted
___1___ Wrapping up “Julianna week” here at So Much to Say, So Little Time. This week, I participated in a research study. The researchers are
They say Hollywood keeps making the same movies over and over again. See if this plot sounds familiar: a (world-weary) (well-intentioned) (jaded) (down-to-earth) main character
___1___ Here’s something to listen to. This is a CNS report about Mass in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Take a minute to listen. Even taking
I’ve been singing the national anthem at sporting events for six or seven years–on again, off again, depending on the state of my exhaustion level
From day one, one of the most intimidating things about parenthood for me has been how to teach my children sexual morality. I’m sure I’m
I spent the month of December writing a huge article on infertility. In the process of contacting and interviewing couples, I realized something: I have
This year, Christian and I decided to make some New Years Resolutions for our marriage. I had suggested this before, but he resisted last year,
Image via Wikipedia For the last couple of days, everyone has been sounding off on the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik blames
“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to
On Monday morning after Christmas, I found this comment, on an earlier blog post, from “Greg” in my email inbox (all mistakes his): Will human stupidity
The key to successful aging is to pay as little attention to it as possible. ~Judith Regan I was twenty-six years old when I first
___1___ Best link of the week, hands down, in honor of the upcoming movie release (anybody want to be super geeky and dress up
How do I write what I’m feeling without passing judgment? On the first read-through, I thought the baby had died in utero. He wrote it
You know how God keeps banging on a theme until you finally respond to the knock on the door and let the idea in? This
Kauffman Stadium Open House Originally uploaded by smysnbrg At 2:30 on Saturday afternoon, Christian and Alex left for a Kansas City Royals game. (Baseball,
1. I got a speeding ticket last night. (Yes, Kelley, on the way home from your house.) It was actually really unfair–not b/c I wasn’t
Here we go again. Did you see the piece in New York Magazine? The one about how parenthood makes people less happy? Here are a
This spring, I had the opportunity to interview Kimberly Hahn for an article in the Couple to Couple League’s Family Foundations magazine. Catholic audiences need
I’m going to go out on a limb today and say something that a good portion of my readership probably won’t like. Namely: I support
There are some things I will never understand. Oprah’s magazine, for instance. This month, it’s called “THE BIG DEAL ISSUE!” And the cover brags, “Everything
1. I’ve been having one of those weeks again. One of those weeks where I found myself out of balance, focused myopically on writing, unable
Takes 1-3: Wardrobe Malfunctions 1. On Wednesday morning, we actually got going in plenty of time to get Julianna to her language preschool. Until Alex
Our computer is sick. Yesterday afternoon, quite suddenly, it began popping up sites labeled “adults” and “viagra.” (Among other words I won’t use here.) And
When our family first stepped on the shores of Holland, we used to roll our eyes when people fussed about language. You don’t say “Down
Uniroyal Tire – Detroit Landmark Originally uploaded by James Marvin Phelps (mandj98) And sometimes, things just don’t go the way they’re supposed to. We
Sometimes we don’t even pay attention. We spend so much effort looking for beauty in the classic sense that we filter out the budding beauty
It’s just one of those days, folks, so here’s a repost from early of 2009, a few short weeks before Nicholas was born: *** Scene:
It used to be that you went to the movies so you could see Good Guys cream the Bad Guys. Robin Hood vs. the Sheriff
Note to Target, Kohl’s, Penney’s, et al: Seriously, people. Who are you making clothes for? Because—news flash—it’s NOT ME. Today I am guest posting for
1. I have a new blog I want you to visit: http://www.kellehampton.com/. She just gave birth to her second daughter, who has Down syndrome, and
1. This week I saw two more “make me happy” figure skating programs. It’s been coming on for a while, but wow, how I have
I’m rooting for Brangelina. It goes without saying that relationships in Hollywood generally don’t last. Famous people, for some reason, seem to be pathologically incapable
I don’t understand… …why every single spoon made these days is SO HUGE. I would never have guessed that I had to travel with my
Like Emily at chattingatthesky.com, today I have feverish children and a house in need of work. Which is why I’m so late in posting…yesterday…today…Sleep has
On Thursday, Abigail at Diary of a New Mom nominated me for the Sweet Friend award–having never been nominated for anything, I, like Abigail, have to
I realized something just now. Call me dense for not realizing it before, but I know now why Disney was so crowded. Our entire state
We spent last week on Longboat Key, Florida with the Basi family, and since we were so close, Christian and I decided to try a
(Setting: the kitchen at my parents’ farm, three days before Christmas. Me: Alex, I need you to think back. What was your favorite thing that
My dad has had kidney stones for…a while. I’m not sure how long. Being Dad, he didn’t complain about it to us. He got up,
1. Last Sunday afternoon at nap time, I tiptoed down the hallway with a sleeping baby and stood in the doorway of the little ones’
“Is it not possible for us to do with gender, sexuality, and reproduction what was long ago done with the stars? To realize that these
A few months ago, I learned something I would rather not have known—that many insurance companies severely limit, or even refuse to cover altogether, therapies
1. The local “Christmas station” plays a sometimes-delightful, often appalling mix of cheesy ’80s pop stars (think Hall & Oates “Jingle Bell Rock”), some great
It happened again on the way to the grocery store. “Mommy,” Alex said, “is Darth Vader bad?” “Uh,” I said, “yeah…only later he remembered what
1. My sister Andrea once asked where I come up with the links I include on my blog. Well, here’s an example. Last week, my
Sunday Snippets is a group of bloggers who gather once each week to share out best posts. This week, my only overtly religious reflection was
It’s happened three times in as many months. The first time, we were headed for a wedding on a hot August day. Christian went early
Just a few interesting things I ran across this week… http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/153.html –An interesting take on the Knight in Shining Armor http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yvHWyvexZA –An old favorite in our family. Once,
The serious… www.theologyofthebody.blogspot.com/2009/10/gardasil-what-we-knew-all-along.html I can’t find anything more official than this; it seems like all the conservative blogosphere was posting this, but I’d like to have
Today I want to share a some links that I ran across this week–interesting, funny, mind-boggling. First up are the Marciniaks, whose husband & wife blogs
Call me paranoid, but I think the toy companies and the battery companies are in cahoots. Chrsitian and I have an allergy to battery toys.
I don’t understand how they get store-bought bread to rise in a perfect rectangle. Whoever heard of yeast rising in right angles? I don’t understand
It’s tempting, because it’s so easy. We live in a culture where everything is reduced to sound bytes. A writer has one sentence to hook
My critique partners are always scolding me to describe my characters better. Even the unimportant ones. “It doesn’t have to be much,” they tell me.
My whole life, I have been a poster child for Catholicism. I was a choir baby, which means that on Lenten and Advent Wednesdays, I
Read this. Wow, what a post. http://justwallpaper.wordpress.com/2009/09/01/an-open-letter-to-those-who-have-been-burned-by-church/
My birthday and I have a very checkered history. On the plus side, it usually fell during summer vacation—a time when every girl did dishes
Right now, Alex and I are reading Little House on the Prairie. I haven’t read it since I was a kid myself, and I’m surprised
Christian has been coming home for the last three days talking about nothing but “improv everywhere.” A few minutes ago, he called me over to
I happened upon this feature story this morning in Vox Magazine. Having worked at Sears for five years during college & grad school, I am
There was a day in high school when my car broke down on the highway, on my way to school for a band trip. It
When a famous person dies, it’s always interesting to see how important the news media thinks they are, based on how much other news they
This is not what I wanted to spend my writing time on today. I detest writing about things that make me angry, and upon which
Once in a while, it’s nice to go somewhere without internet access for a few days, even though it feels disorienting to be offline. But
Last week, while searching for new markets for my short story, I stumbled across an editorial piece in the Atlantic Monthly called “The Case Against
In the last issue of CCL’s Family Foundations, Linda Kracht wrote a great column about parenting a child with special needs. “We parents of children
After four months, eight stores, three babysitters and four grandparent interventions, the Basi family has triumphed! At length and at last, we finally managed to
“Mommy,” said Alex at lunchtime, “strawberries are red, just like blood.” Wow, I thought. Never thought I’d hear that one! “Yes, Alex, they are.”
The other night, Christian and I watched “Righteous Kill.” For those who aren’t familiar with it, the movie stars Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino as
“I take” my baby “to the park…hold it in a blanket,” the 49-year-old “mother” told ABC News reporters in January, lovingly describing her play-like infant.
I don’t understand Madonna. Several decades ago, when my grandparents lived in Detroit, they were friends with the Ciccone family. Knowing my grandfather, I feel
I’m preparing for a major revamp of my author site, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen to this blog as part of that.
It’s the 4th of July, and I am in the middle of the confluence of playing for our local professional orchestra’s summer festival, preparing for
One perk of being a published author is how many other authors I get to “meet.” We all hear about the big, flashy books by
Hi, all! Long time, no see. I’m stretched pretty thin these days with a college kid, two over-involved high schoolers, and a middle schooler, plus
Environmental stewardship and climate have long been high, high priorities for me. That is because of my Christian faith and because nature is where I
One perk of being a published author is how many other authors I get to “meet.” We all hear about the big, flashy books by
I was late to the Nicole Baart party. When I read my first of her books, I was gobsmacked. “How have I never come across
OK, I will admit it: I am fascinated with the British royal family. Not nearly as much as some–I never watched the weddings, for instance,
“Wicked” is a cultural phenomenon, and with a few exceptions (Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter), I am terrible at keeping up with cultural phenomena. I
Today (Feb. 27, 2023) only: A SONG FOR THE ROAD is on Kindle sale for $1.99! (Hint: Feel free to share this post. 😉 )
I have loved the Anne and Emily books since the first time I read them, but it took me until now to read this late
In the spirit of the holidays I wanted to share some really good things–books and not-books–that I have discovered in the past year or so.