-
Winter on the Plains: Ridges in Constant Motion
The snow is an ocean, vast and deep,And through the winter its vigil keeps. Shipwrecked trucks lay sideways, stranded,Grasping for help, empty-handed. Ridges build and ridges fall:White like foam, standing tall, Then the wind comes whistling, tearing,Drags down ridges overbearing, Only to build them once again,In constant motion till winter’s end. (Also, check out this essay I wrote for Story Warren about The Velveteen Rabbit.)
-
How Psalm 69 Speaks to Depression
Depression feels like the first verses of Psalm 69 describe: “Save me, O God!For the waters have come up to my neck.I sink deep in the mire,where there is no foothold;I have come into deep water,and the flood sweeps over me.I am weary with my crying out;my throat is parched.My eyes grow dimwith waiting for my God.” These verses give me the feeling that David was sinking deep into the darkness of his own thoughts and his own emotions, and possibly didn’t see a way out. In a literal sense, depression can cause our sight to grow dim; we view the world with less joy and energy, and that translates…
-
The Day My Van Locked Me Out
I was eight months pregnant, and it was the Friday before Easter. I woke up that morning excited to go into school without any students present. I worked with some especially fun women—they understood the benefits of learning through play and applied that idea to every area of their lives. We did the work we needed to do: tidying up the classroom and getting crafts ready for the next week. We also did work we didn’t need to do: catch up on the exciting events we’d missed in each other’s lives during the last week and sip coffee from my French press. We even got to wear jeans. That morning,…
-
More BIG Changes for Me and My Family
I got a job! The Classical school in our area was looking for a part-time science teacher. Homeschooling has been tough these last couple months, and the kids miss interacting with friends–they won’t admit it, but I know they do! I also miss being part of a school community. As you know from my posts, we did Classical Conversations for a couple years in the city we lived in previously. I like the Classical education model (I believe Charlotte Mason was a Classical educator) and Samuel does, too. I’m excited to continue with the same type of model we enjoyed before. Samuel will be going to school just in the…
-
Finding Stories Here and There
I have my laptop open in front of me. To my right, a glass of soda that my husband poured and never finished (I’m sipping it now), a large, square, plastic container filled with watermelon, and a plate that once held a piece of peanut-butter-chocolate-chip cake. To my left, a mason jar part-way full of water with a gray lid on top, and a pan of cake. A bronzed napkin holder just touches the edge of my laptop. The napkins lean to one side. At some point, I’ll probably refill them. Small translucent drops of melting snow slide off the roof in front of the window above my kitchen sink.…