embrace the absurdity of grace
One of my earliest memories of catechism and CCD (which I never knew stood for Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) was being introduced to what some call "the wedding scripture." Love is patient... Love is kind... The teacher brought the scripture to life when he suggested we substitute our own name for the word love. Patricia… Continue reading What if voting is the most loving thing we can do?
I planted these beauties early last spring when it was still too early for anything to survive in the ground. But pansies are such sturdy little things, they can survive the ups and mostly downs of a late winter/early spring in Michigan. They flourished all summer and when the first few frosts came, they still… Continue reading Essential Beauty
I’ve been accused of creating austere, cave-like environments in which to work. Curtains drawn, mostly dark, and very quiet. I prefer to think of it as more “cozy” than “cave” but I suppose spelunking might seem appropriate to some. Writing in such settings helps me focus less on myself and more on ideas, rather than… Continue reading Leaning In To My Discomfort Zone
I'm at Fathom Magazine today, talking about creativity. One of my first memories of art class was using small, blunted safety scissors to cut pictures out of magazines. I would make collages to represent life as I knew it as a six-year-old. Later would come shoeboxes covered in dry pasta, macramé braided wall hangings, and...… Continue reading Artistic Enough
As a child when I tested my mother’s patience, I always knew when I’d crossed the line. The Look could stop me in my tracks. The one that silently conveyed, “I’d like you to stop that.” That screaming, that banging, that whining or whatever was getting on her nerves. Sometimes it was The Tone that I recognized… Continue reading Enough Already
Happiness is finally organizing one's over-stuffed bookshelf. I’d been using one set of shelves in a way that wasn’t useful, so I set about creating a friendlier home for my books. I went from crowded crammed in, and ugly to room to grow more comfortable, and easier to engage. Including space based on a graphic… Continue reading Creating a Sacred Space
Borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor always seemed cliché to me. That is, until the day I watched with dismay as my last two eggs landed splat on my kitchen floor as I was making a dessert to take to a party. With no time to run to the store, it made the… Continue reading Living on Borrowed Hope
