My daughter and I thought we were just stopping by 12 Baskets to drop off some food for lunch, but when we arrived we learned that a wedding was about to begin. We had to stay. (For background on 12 Baskets see my post "No Ordinary Watermelon") Shannon, 12 Baskets' founder, was poised to officiate in… Continue reading Love endureth all things
Mistaken Ivy
Dear Karen, Remember when we went for that walk in the woods last week, and you asked if that patch of vines was poison ivy, and I told you very confidently that they were not? Well, Christopher just told me that they were. Are. And here I've been, wondering where those little stripes of it… Continue reading Mistaken Ivy
Should
I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I should I… Continue reading Should
Yum
I'm always experimenting with trying to make treats healthier, to make up for the fact that no one in our family -- particularly the parents -- have ever met with much success with portion control. Last week I made these cookies from Love & Lemons and my husband and I agreed they were the most… Continue reading Yum
Jacob*
I thought of Jacob recently, flashed to a memory of him standing in the small kitchen of my one-bedroom, head tilted slightly, saying shyly, "I know a really good way to cook bacon." He put the bacon in a saucepan, covered the bottom with water, baked it until the fat dribbled out. Broiled it to… Continue reading Jacob*
Off to Camp
"Mama, how long have we been away from home?" Younger asked me. We were out west visiting family. "About ten days," I calculated. "Why? What's up?" I wondered. We had nearly a full week left of our current stop, and another ten days after that before we returned home. "Ugh," she sighed. "I don't stand… Continue reading Off to Camp
Project Wellspring: Questions for Reflection
What is the shape of this story in your mind? Is it a longer arc, one that unfolds over many years or decades? Is it more of a self-contained episode? Something in between? How would you describe your emotions right now as you think about beginning to tell this story? Briefly and without thinking too… Continue reading Project Wellspring: Questions for Reflection
My Family, Part II: Deconstructed Birthday Cake
I still don't really go in for astrology, but if there was ever an embodiment of a Gemini, my sweet almost-9-year-old is it. As a baby, changing Priya's onesie could take her from a placid snuggle bunny to screaming as if she'd been stung by a trio of bees in under 30 seconds. Nowadays, it's… Continue reading My Family, Part II: Deconstructed Birthday Cake
Please Don’t Tell Me About Your Diet. Here’s Why.
(Inspired by Julia Shiplett's recent New York Times piece, "Reasons I May Be Eating Right Now"): It makes me feel guilty. It makes me feel superior. I judge them for being overweight. I am afraid of becoming overweight. I judge myself for being afraid of becoming overweight. I think health and nutrition are obvious and… Continue reading Please Don’t Tell Me About Your Diet. Here’s Why.
My Family, Part I: Food Coloring Lipstick
Saturdays generally unfold like this: In the late spring moving toward summer, I might wake up at 7:00, my 9-year-old around 7:30, and our younger, another half-hour to an hour later. (For Christmas I bought her a pajama shirt that says, "If you love me, let me sleep.") We are happy and relaxed to have… Continue reading My Family, Part I: Food Coloring Lipstick
