Comforting things
Garden Spells
Summer in New England is short and temperamental. The warm weather comes and goes in a flash, the sun visits and then retreats. It’s fickle and gorgeous and a season to appreciate but not to count on. Because we were away for two weeks, and then recovering for another week or so, I missed the…
Read MoreDia Dhuit!
I’ve been cheating on you, my pretties. Whilst you thought I was here, slogging away at the computer, I was actually there, eating scones with clotted cream, drinking pots of tea, and walking about the Irish countryside. You know all that stuff about how poetic the Irish are? It’s true. One rainy day, I asked…
Read MoreHow Not to Lose
Last week, as I faced off against my ever cocky teenaged fencing opponent, it occurred to me: I was going to lose. Sadly, this is not the first time I’ve been graced with this epiphany. I have never been the speediest turtle, nor the most coordinated. Because I am old and crafty and gifted with…
Read MoreSpring Has Sprung
It is spring, and the bloody bluebird, instead of laying eggs, is sitting on my bird feeder, gobbling up the grubs and then flying his fuzzy blue you-know-what off to someone else’s nesting box. (To be fair, the bluebirds DID begin a nest, but their nest has disappeared and a chickadee is happily building there…
Read MoreInside Out
When my daughter was born, I promised myself that I’d stand firm against the sea of plastic I saw other kids playing in. I wanted only handmade, beautiful toys for her, in the Waldorf tradition, made by elves who only ate organic food, drank milk from virgin yaks, and shunned sugar. We even went…
Read MoreIt's Party, Party, Party, Babe
Or at least February vacation, so if you’re expecting a real blog post, you are sadly mistaken. Instead I thought I’d share with you a few of the activities we’ve done in between the playdates and the sleepovers. (I’m not including the part where I pry the DS from my son’s hands, of course. That…
Read MoreTea Time
A few weeks ago I was watching an episode of Downton Abbey. It was the scene where Lady Mary breaks it to Matthew that he’ll never walk again, and probably never sire children, either. And then, at the conclusion of this cheerful conversation, she asks brightly “Would you like some tea? I would!” and trots…
Read MoreNo Gift With Purchase
John Scalzi, a writer I really like, did a very kind thing this week: He gave writers and editors the chance to share information about their books in his blog’s comments. A type of writerly gift guide for the holidays, if you will. I thought it might be fun to do something similar. So I’m…
Read MoreIt's Beginning To Look A Lot Like …
It’s time to stock up on wine. : ) What, you were expecting something else? I’m lucky. For the most part, holidays around here are drama-free. On Thursday, I can honestly say ‘Thanks” for all my family members, extended and otherwise. But even drama-free holidays can still be stressful. So over the years, Bill and…
Read MoreA Forest in the Trees (For Norman)
Before we moved to the suburbs, we lived on a run down horse farm in a town with a population of maybe 3,000 people. I do not joke when I tell you that the cows often outnumbered the human residents. My husband probably deserves sainthood for staying there with me for that long, but I loved…
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