This is just to say
I’ve got a brief prompt for you today, inspired by a brief poem about a brief note, by William Carlos Williams. This is Just to Say I have eatenthe plumsthat were inthe icebox and whichyou were probablysavingfor breakfast Forgive methey were deliciousso sweetand so cold —by William Carlos Williams a writing prompt Write a brief note […]
It’s Summer!
Warm days. Late light. Fireflies. Tomato sandwiches. Sweet corn. Swim team. Sunscreen. Reading in the hammock. It’s summer! What is holding your attention today? Mary Oliver has some thoughts about summer, attention, and what really matters. The Summer Day Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This […]
Some Advice from Natalie
In my writing workshops I teach reflective writing—a way of writing that reflects on something particular (a prompt or suggestion), and reveals something as you put words on the page. You may not have an idea where you are headed when you start, but the process of writing helps you get where you need to be. That […]
What’s it Worth to You?
This week we are waiting for our house appraisal to come back so we can close on the sale, and finish packing. The appraiser is taking their sweet time and we are all a bit anxious about it. How long does it take to assess the value of something as solid as a house? Packing for our […]
Be It Resolved
You know how a song can get stuck in your head? Sometimes that happens to me with words. Something happens that prompts a word to pop into consciousness, and then it rattles around in my head for awhile. I have to deal with it to make it go away—look up the origin or definition of it, or write […]
At the Laundromat
Our washer broke recently. It happened two days before our house went on the market, of course. How do appliances know when the worst time to break will be? I think perhaps they listen to us, sort of like Siri and Alexa. There is plenty of evidence for it. Our dishwasher died the week we moved into […]
Signs of the Spirit
I’ve been thinking about the Spirit a lot lately. In my case I mean the Holy Spirit, in the Christian tradition, as I’ll explain. But you may understand Spirit in a different way. (Sometimes I do.) I’ve been asked to think and write about the Holy Spirit lately for one of my current faith formation curriculum contracts. […]
On Graduating
This past weekend we celebrated our youngest’s college graduation. Her university held four different ceremonies, with hundreds of graduates recognized at each one. Proud families looked on and cheered as their students crossed the stage. Besides the degrees they earned in English, Computer Science, Marketing and the like, these graduates learned something about perseverance during […]
The joys of bubble wrap
I wrote last week about our planned summer move to a new town and a new home. We are up to our ears in boxes, tape and newsprint, trying to pack up enough to get the house ready for pictures and listing soon. I now think that in addition to inheriting or registering for china and glassware, young people […]
Where is home for you?
It’s that time again—the time when the families of Methodist ministers are announcing where they are moving. So here goes: This summer we are headed east to the town of Kernersville, (between Winston-Salem and Greensboro, NC) so my husband can serve a two-year appointment as an interim pastor. He is gifted in this kind of work, […]