Todos los pastores están sufriendo. I said this to my husband this morning, as I sliced up a fresh garden tomato, lovingly given to us by our neighbor. Our six-year-old daughter looked up from her eggs and sausage: “Even you, mama?” she asked. Oops. They’re always listening. Always. Nothing gets past my bilingual babies. “No, […]
A Piece of Writing I Want to Share With You Today Read More »
1. Hang off the side of the pool and pretend I’m a bat. 3. Float. 4. Duck, airplane, soldier. 5. Sort out all of my problems. 6. Invent new problems that need to be sorted out. 7. Breathe in, breathe out. 8. Blow bubbles. 9. Walk from one end of the pool to the other,
A Nonexhaustive List of Things I Do in the Pool at the Gym (138 Words) Read More »
There’s a lovely book of prayers and blessings called To Bless the Space Between Us, by the inimitable writer/theologian John O’Donohue. John O’Donohue had a rare way with words. His work is pastoral, compassionate, and imaginative. To Bless the Space Between Us is a gift to the world, and it’s a resource I refer to
383 Words on Coming Home to Myself Read More »
Last week there were about eight women waiting in the ladies’ room line for three stalls. It was a quiet line, and most people were on their phones. At some point, one woman piped up to everyone, “Excuse me, are all of the stalls occupied?” It might seem like a silly question, but we’ve all
500 Words on the Line in the Ladies’ Room, Crepes, and Orchids Read More »
Friendship bracelets. Skits. Canoes gliding on the still waters of a cool, clear, lake. Singing songs around smoky campfires and roasting marshmallows. Soft pine needles under your feet. Rainy mornings in the lodge with coffee. Bacon. Laughter everywhere. Putting on a swimsuit that is still just a liiiiiiiiitle wet from the day before. Ending each
421 Words About the Beauty of Camp Westminster #PCUSA Read More »
I started to listen to ATC in college when I flew a lot, alone. In those days you could listen to ATC while you flew by plugging in one of those cheap headphone sets into the armrest. Now I listen on my phone through an app. while I’m picking up the house or sitting outside
485 Words About What I’ve Learned by Listening to Air Traffic Control (Part 1) Read More »
Everyone talks about the placebo effect like it’s a bad thing. “Gotta make sure it’s not just the placebo effect.” Scientists seem annoyed with it, which annoys me. I think we need much more research on harnessing the placebo effect. More placebo effect, please. Think about what the placebo effect is: you get better, because
299 Words about the Placebo Effect Read More »
It’s rainy and I’m a bit grouchy (or “grunchy” as the kids say) so today’s a good day to let my inner grinch shine and get some of these pet peeves off my chest. I only have 500 words, so you can bet there will be a part two and part three at some point.
499 Words on Pet Peeves Read More »
Some of my favorite mentors are gardeners. Gardeners know what it means to have vision, to be patient, and to labor over something for a long time. They also know how to roll with the punches, improvise, and leave some things up to nature. I listened with great care recently as a gardener told me
453 Words on Housework and Weeds Read More »
First, let’s be clear about the basics and process. The toast starts with good sourdough bread toasted for exactly five minutes, while you make the coffee. Coming in strong at number five we have cheese toast. A solid contender, but this one is really only in the running if I have a serious craving for
A Definitive List of the 5 Best Toasts in 492 Words Read More »
