Magical Memoir Moments
Onward! Through Life and Death
Yesterday Stuart turned 80 years old. Wow. I’ve written about him frequently on this blog. He is the star of our romance and of his recovery from cancer story. When he turned 70, I called him the “linebacker of my life.” In almost everything I do or write he is a quiet, consistent presence. To…
Beginner’s Mind: A Writing Residency, A New Setting, A New Day
A new environment at the Collegeville Institute, designed by architect Marcel Breuer, inspires me at the beginning of my fall semester residency.
Do You Say, "Have a Nice Day"? If Not, Why Not?
When you part from someone, do you have a favorite farewell blessing to utter? Other languages, French, German, and Spanish, for example, have much more graceful words than the English “Good-Bye” or “So long!” Witness this song written for English speakers about a famous multi-lingual Austrian family: In America, in the decade that followed The…
A Good Day is a Gutsy Day: How You Can Win a Free Book or Download a Bargain
It’s a good day today. In no spectacular way. It’s good just by waking up, alive, in a “warm” house (I’m grateful for the afghan made by my mother-in-law and a prayer shawl give to me by Mennonite women this fall). Then there was coffee, and breakfast with Stuart, who made the steel-cut oats. Lots…
Recovering Joy in A Good Day: The Woman in the Photograph
What if the only clue you had to your mother’s past was a photo taken before you were born — when she was young, carefree, and beautiful? What if it looked like this:How would you feel, upon waking up in the morning, if the day stretched out before you had no clear architecture from the…
Always Returning: Prairie Wisdom for Breathing in a Good Day Every Day
So what if the day you are having doesn’t seem like A Good Day? No day can be Good all the time! I’ve learned much Prairie Wisdom from my friend Daisy Hickman, author of Always Returning: The Wisdom of Place. I have her book on my table TBR (to be read) soon! I hope you’ll…
Owen and Julia and the Amazing, Excellent, Superb, Splendid, Very Good Day
I’ve been on a quest lately to deepen my understanding of what it’s like to have a good day. We all know about Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day but what about the Amazing, Excellent, Superb, Splendid, Very Good Day? So I went to two experts: grandson Owen, age 3, and…