the problem with showing pictures is that to some people it looks like a nauseating display of “perfect family,” I can assure you I chose not the easy road in marriage, as I am wont to do. However, perhaps this proclivity to difficulty has made me that much more appreciative of the small things. this…
Oregon Coast 2015
This summer, for the first time ever, we decided to take one 2 week long camping trip. I didn’t realize what this was, this camping for 2 weeks thing. Originally we were going to go to Yellowstone, but for uninteresting reasons, we settled on going down the part of the Oregon Coast we had not…
August
August is a beautiful time of the year. The rest of the calendar waits for August. Like honey it arrives so slowly, and lasts never quite long enough… but while August is here the indulgences that might have to be stolen the rest of the year are welcome, right and timely. The ice cream outing…
My next trick…
I have been writing here for 10 years. See…? Places I have lived and the the first on wordpress… Shameless Adeline, yes her, was a mere babe. So much life here! And as I go through it, there is so much change. But I have been wanting to move on. A decade is a good run….
Graduating.
Traveler, there is no road.
Make the road by going.
By going, you make the way
Half of 2015 in pictures
See this face? The center of my days, the middle of my schedule, the priority of many of my hours are right here. Today’s activity? Tea Party, of course. Because when 6 asks you to her tea party, naturally, we are “Delighted!” Because it is no small thing. She even prepared real tea. In Russia my…
Playing Candyland.
When a 6-year old calls out to you, “Let’s play Candyland!”, how do you respond? Someone in our house is continually trying to throw Candyland away. Trying to convince the kids they are “too old for Candyland,” (whaaat?) Perhaps the most important part of my job these days is saying, “Ok, Candyland, not Uno?” and…
It happens every year: The best Summer Reading for the first half of life
The summer begins. Mine has begun, and there is an extra 8 weeks bonus time when kids are still in school. Which means I have 4 hours a day without kids or work. This is amazing. This has not happened in Years. Naturally this means chores. It also means Books! Before you hiss at me,…
Changing directions, getting muddy and redeeming mess
Not so long ago an educational program was started. The goals were to have conversations about things dear to the heart, to hear other ideas, to meet other people, to read some different books and have some new thoughts. Unfortunately, the educational program was located a tad far from the home, and so the online…
Diversity
This is a repost from about 10 years ago. Writing 121 was a required course for all undergraduates. In that class we were assigned to write a paper on Diversity. I didn’t really know what was meant by “diversity”. For some people it means many races, for some it means just black and white, for…
What I know and don’t know
There is a rumor out there that it never sunshines in the Pacific Northwest. It is true in Olympia, Washington. But elsewhere, well, I’ll never tell the truth about that. Today there was a surprising deluge though. It was in fact magnificent. It defied all my attempts at appropriate attire. The boots were in the…
Getting Credit
Credit cards advertisements really are a study in tremendous irony. They almost ubiquitously vaunt the amount of freedom that their card will give the cardholder. Which is hilarious and ironic to anyone who ever had to swear off credit cards because they were an absolute albatross around ones neck. The thing any 18 year old…