It rained this afternoon, after threatening us with opaque skies all day. The rain finally came at about three o’clock, and the boys came in from bike riding, and Emma Grace put on her bathing suit to go out in it. It hadn’t stopped at four, when we’d planned to go to the pool, and […]

My dear Beth gave me a new blog address today, that of Lauren Winner, an author we’ve enjoyed reading and, incidentally, have also met once. I went to Lauren Winner’s blog (www.laurenwinner.net/blog), and began to read. And after I had read a few postings, I read a few comments, and then read the postings of […]

Okay. So last night we’re sitting around the coffee table playing Scene It with Linda and Ray, who was visiting for the weekend. The children were tucked in; it was well after nine. Maybe after ten. And the phone rings. There are only a handful of people who call at that hour: my parents (maybe), […]

Boys make messes, yes? That’s what is traditionally assumed of them. Think about it. Which is worse– or messier, I should say? Snips, snails and puppy-dog tails, or sugar, spice and everything nice? Never mind. Both of those could go Wrong. And what is a snip, anyway? But let me just say that I’ve always […]

I have a new writing outlet. It’s called cinekklesia, and it’s on the web. A friend at church began this site, a place to explore how ideas, themes and images in film intersect with or impact our faith. It’s brand new: the site just “opened” a few days ago, but already there is a good […]

It is rare that I enter my bedroom during the day. I get up, get ready for the day, and am busy outside of that room All Day until after dark, when the children have long been asleep, and I am getting ready for bed. There are exceptions, of course. Sunday afternoon naps, my convalescence […]

I’ve been given a delightful little book entitled Shakespeare: The Bard’s Guide to Abuses and Affronts. It’s divided into catagories like “Beauty and Boorishness,” “Religion and Blasphemy,” and “Intellect and Speech.” I give you one from the “Beauty” category. “She is spherical, like a globe. I could find out countries in her.” –The Comedy of […]

I went to the orthopaedist yesterday, full of hope. I know it takes 6-8 weeks for bones to heal; I know the accident happened only (only?) five weeks ago. But still– miracles happen. A doctor I’ve never seen before came in first, and he pulled at my foot and asked if it hurt. Sometimes it […]

One evening last week Bill was tucking Emma Grace into bed when their conversation turned to extended family. They began to discuss our Atlanta cousins, of which there are four. Uncle Mike and Aunt Susan have identical twin daughters, Colleen and Margaret, who just turned three in March. For their birthday, Emma Grace made each […]

Confession: I have a thing for pirates. Yes, I do. Why? Maybe it’s just the sea, the wild loneliness of it, and the salt. I was raised on salt air and water, and consider fresh water, even vast bodies of fresh water, to be a little…. Wanting. Or maybe it’s the rebelliousness of the pirates, […]