Today is “Fat Tuesday,” and I ate a pazcki. Prune. They’re my favorite. They’re the traditional ones, and they’re not as sweet as the others. (I wish we had a Rudy’s in Michigan.) Still, it added up to about four bazillion calories. It’s a filling for the spilling for the filling. I plan to start […]
life, home, and hospitality
Please, God, let my parents come and beat her up. We’d had a sword battle with pencils, Patsi and I. And Mrs. Smith rapped my 7-year-old knuckles. But not Patsi’s. So I turned around and scribbled on Patsi’s picture. And now I stood in the corner, lump in throat, cheeks aflame. It didn’t occur to […]
31 Days of Coming to Grips with My Age ~ Day 22: Re-membering to Restore
I slide into the polished pew next to D and sink into the history of this place, built over a hundred years ago, now restored. I’m immersed in a warm blend of pink and blue and green and gold, laced with intricate stenciling. A glass kaleidoscope rises on my right. Jesus and the children […]
Rumors of Wine
There are rumors of water. And Time winds down hidden hallways, sips tea with feathered memories and eats bagels with Imagination who sees beyond what is to what can be in gaping holes and medieval laundry baskets and berry-colored bottles. In time, Time whispers words and songs that rise in some kind of prayer […]
It’s the Climb
We called it a salt lick, the stand in the woods behind our house. I never saw salt, and I never saw deer licking it. But it made a great platform to climb up on and belt out words to a standing-room-only crowd. This audience swayed to the melodies, whispered their appreciation, and clapped […]
In Which I Cultivate My Wild Side–Or Not
Someone landed on my blog the other day when they searched for “Hoosier cabinet.” I doubt they found what they were looking for. That short little post was written in response to L.L. Barkat’s suggested writing exercise from God in the Yard to play with words. In the section on “Habits” from her newest book, Rumors […]
When the F-Word’s Caught in a Web
I play the word game puzzle letters in bits and pieces lose scraps in dusty corners and the F-word’s caught in a web. So I plant potatoes in my bed, chase gophers in the garden, do battle with aliens, and have tea with a purple moth. Wait until it all comes around and a […]
Are We Crazy?
Absolutely free! But it can cause worse damage yellow lace, age spots from rusting. Drives you a little crazy. Rust–one of the toughest stains, but all you really need is the safer substitute, a splash of something. Swish! A sweeter smelling way, a secret liquid that makes you tight and taut. It’s all you really […]
Of Beans and Sawdust and Kitchen Floors
I let go of a piece of perfection. I wash my kitchen floor. I don’t know when I last washed it. How is that letting go of perfection? Because I tend to let the scrubbing go until I can plant my knees on this mat. Until I can do it up perfect. So I tend […]
First Make the Sounds
The seagull–he no longer screams, “Mine!” He makes no sound at all. I can feel the song inside him, but it’s broken. I squeeze, but he only creaks, and I don’t see a way to fix him. I can’t find a battery opening. He’s a bit like me. My song feels broken, and my words […]
