Up and down the basement stairs my husband Mart went, bringing boxes and bags filled with Christmas decorations. He stacked everything in the living room beside the newly-cut and fragrant Fraser fir. As I unwrapped precious keepsake ornaments...
Read moreThe Little Dancer
Edgar Degas, The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer. Metropolitan Museum of Art
Her name is Marie van Goethem, and she’s a young ballet student at the Paris Opera. She stands informally in fourth position, her head back, the ribbon holding her braid dangling. Her hands are joined behind her. Her eyes are closed, her face upturned. What is she thinking about? Maybe she dreams of becoming a famous ballerina one day...
Read moreUnexpected Beauty at a Gas Station
Moody, overcast day at the animal farm
We’re driving down 1-16 toward Savannah. There’s not much on this rural stretch of Georgia highway except for trees and a few swaths of pretty pink and purple wildflowers in the median.
And a gas station that’s worth stopping for...
Read moreSomething Went Wrong in the Kitchen
Something went wrong. Go ahead and laugh. I did...
Read moreA New Season
It was a sunny, warm fall day. The late-afternoon sun was slanting through the trees in our front yard. My daughter, who was eight at the time, and I had been walking our dog.
As we went into the house, I grabbed some old kitchen shears and and a basket. “I want to show you something...”
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The Path
Imagine you’re in the mountains, walking at twilight. It’s a beautiful, warm and clear night. The sunset is painting your favorite colors just over the mountains...
Read moreLearning to Read
“Mommy, guess what page I’m on?” asked a little voice from the back seat one morning. “I’m on page 50!” I smiled in the rear view mirror at the freckled face with blue eyes and dimples...
Read moreThe Tea Ritual, or Trying a New Thing (Again)
“Want to stop in?” my husband asked, looking at the restaurant/bar on the corner near the townhouse we were renting for the week. The Take-Away window was hopping with busy young professionals busily taking away espressos...
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