Earlier this week, we were having a dinner table conversation led by my husband about Not Judging a Book by its Cover – not judging people – understanding that everyone has a story. We may not ever know what drives a person, but we have to give space, give grace, and give a level of tolerance knowing that people are acting out their experience. Sometimes … Continue reading I Do Not Tug at their Hearts for No Reason
As I was meditating this morning, I caught myself telling myself how I was supposed to be doing it, rather than relaxing and just enjoying it. “Suppose” became my mantra. But, “Let’s suppose” is a guess, and “Supposed to” is a should, or something I feel I have to do, but don’t really want to do. And I pass those should’s and ought’s on to … Continue reading Suppose all our Supposed To’s are Erroneous Suppositions
“Not Cool, Robert Frost!” It has been all the rage on the internet, at Ted Talks, on the Late Night Circuit – all over the place. If you have not yet seen The Pep Talk, by Kid President, please, go see it now. I will wait. My kids and I have watched this so many times, we have it memorized. We have gone on to … Continue reading Monkeys Flinging Poop, Friends Visiting and other Poetic Adventures
This article is based on a prompt from a blog I enjoy called the Tao Te Ching Daily – which gives beautiful, peaceful, soothing, inviting, mindful advice about living. The Tao, as I understand it, is a philosophy of thought, read and enjoyed by C.S. Lewis among a multitude of others. On her blog, writer Amy Putkonen works through her interpretations of the writings within The … Continue reading Parenting and The Doorway to the Mysteries of Life
Sometimes it hits me, how beautiful life is right now. My husband and I watched the Season Finale, the Epic Finale, of The Office tonight. We have watched this show our entire married life. When the Writer’s Strike interrupted production, we went back to old DVDs of previous seasons, and even checked out the British version on the BBC. We could not understand a … Continue reading Dwell in the Glory Days
I started to say that whenever we have a day where I feel like I’ve given my absolute best, I’ve poured everything I have into this mothering gig, and really done a bang up job, that’s when my kids act out and get crazy and I end up becoming unravelled by bedtime… I started to say that, and then this story popped into my … Continue reading Constantly Knocking Over the Teacups
It was a Poet-Philosopher’s Dream – to watch Life of Pi tonight with my family. To watch the beautiful interpretation of delving into oneself to learn about the great unknowns, the enormous out there, the big questions, the tiger, the vegetarian, the sea and the sky and the storm and the quiet. Oh, such a tremendous movie. Such a story. Such an achievement. A poet … Continue reading Such a Golden, Ruffled Dreamworld; Such a Blue, Blue Sea!
Words and phrases fascinate me. A stunning turn of phrase can take my breath away. I am a bit of a mystic and philosophy and poetry move me. The first author I completely fell for was Madeline L’Engle, in her book, “The Small Rain.” Her way with words was an other-worldly experience for me. It was as if she was putting my own thoughts onto … Continue reading — Submarine, Pogo Stick —
If there is anything we have learned from the last week, it is that life can be tiny and fragile and precious and dear. There is no guarantee that we will get our Someday. Perhaps the greatest monument we can build to the lives that have been senselessly lost, is to live our best and biggest dreams now. Let’s not wait for the Someday around … Continue reading Tiny and Fragile and Precious and Dear
Dear Santa, I have been very good this year. & I hope your reindeer like the carrots I leave out! What I would like this year is some red plastic for my PW80, I also hope you have a pair of dirt bike goggles up there too. & I would also like a decent joke book with classic jokes instead of the lame ones that … Continue reading Making Room for Santa with a Total Kid-Room De-Clutter!
In a radio interview with movie director Robert Zemeckis, I learned about the origin of the movie, Back to the Future. Robert and his writing buddy were talking about their fathers, and their relationships with their fathers, and wondering if they had met their dads when they were kids, if they would have been friends. That was the seed, he said, from which sprouted the idea … Continue reading Would we have been Friends if we’d Met when we were Kids?
Today, I am not only the invalid, I am also the one in charge of this joint. It turns out that only one hand is still needing to be swaddled in gauze. The other hand had surface burns, but healed really quickly. Today Scott goes to work. Both boys are home. I have to attempt a one-handed shower, and the boys have said they will … Continue reading It Could be a Disaster, or It Could be Kind of Funny!
The last thing you hear on the audio version of this recording is someone saying into the microphone, while the crowd is going crazy, “The Blues Does Not Get Better Than That!” This is Part 2 of the Video of about 12 minutes of performance for a 70th Birthday Bash for John Mayall. This was playing on Pandora while I chopped onions for a stew … Continue reading I Chop Onions and Get Lost in Melancholy for a Moment
This is from a Meme over at Occasional Boredom! Welcome to another week of Working Mommy Wednesday. This week our topics are: 1. What events from your past have helped form the professional you are today? 2. In looking through old journals, do you still recognize the person you were in college? Green Eggs & Ham, with Tangerines, and Centerpiece Flowers Today, I am way … Continue reading Green Eggs & Ham with my Toddler
For me, the challenge is balance. Perhaps my goals are too lofty. Perhaps I have too many things I’d like to accomplish in life. I want a happy family. I have a job that I adore. And I’m a writer. Each of these things is a full-time pursuit. Sometimes my scale tips towards the side of family and we are wrapped up in lots of … Continue reading Getting to the Juicy Part
Last night we watched the family movie, “The Last Airbender.” It is a fantastic tale of a mystic world where people have powers of bending earth, bending water, bending fire, or bending air. Nations form around the four powers. A young boy, perhaps 9 or 10 years old, is the fulfillment of a prophecy. I missed the first part – but I think he was … Continue reading Six-year old Flying Wild Goose
This evening I blew bubbles over my four-year old’s head while he played in the bathtub. He was “making a cake” with plastic bowls and measuring spoons and a spatula, pouring water from one container to another. I just kept blowing bubbles. I blew bubbles until I was in a little zone of meditation. It was lovely and quiet. He was occupied and creating. I … Continue reading A Gazillion Bubbles of Ohm!
