Even though I became a writer who maneuvers words more easily than numbers, I’m glad dad made me take high school physics. Yesterday I mowed the lawn and hefted a heavy bag of grass into our already-stuffed dumpster. With today’s trash pickup in mind, I grabbed the handle of the dumpster and pushed against the bottom of the dumpster with… Read More
This Period at the End of Every Worrisome Thought
I am methodical to an obsessive degree. I always start in the same place to clean house (which is unfortunate for the ending places that never seem to get touched.) I hang all shirts facing left on the hanger –top button buttoned. I always walk the same path around the neighborhood. My morning routine remains unaltered –shower, dress, teeth, makeup,… Read More
A Simple Treatment for the Sting of Pain
It’s June, but I’m working feverishly to be more prepared for next year’s Spanish classes, so I was looking up vocabulary that had to do with Thanksgiving. Made myself hungry –turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy. Doesn’t help that I’m writing this blog post at 5:12 p.m. To the vocab list I added the Spanish words for “blessing”, “gratitude”, and “prayer”, as… Read More
You and Your Little Baby Ulcer
I rotate things –towels, socks, dish rags, jeans. I pride myself in the fact that I am stilling using some of the dish towels we received as wedding gifts almost 23 years ago because of my rotation system. Or it could be the small amount of times I have done dishes. But I’m holding to the value of rotation. My… Read More
The Proper Amount of Days to Live at a Time
Lovies, they call them, and I think one of them is named Frank, the duck. She can hold seven of them at one time, even though her little arms are only one year old. Mom and I sit quietly in the bedroom. Somehow she finds a way to tuck in her 45-year-old daughter –grabbing the covers and pulling them up… Read More
When It’s Dark and You Want It Not to Be
I war with the boys who like the living room to be on the cave-ish side of things–curtains pulled and nary a lamp string pulled. Hands on hips, I stand before them and say, How can you boys stand this! (Rhetorical.) I throw open curtains and switch on every lamp available. They groan like I’ve ruined their entire lives. I… Read More
Am I in This Thing Alone?
She was old enough to sit up by herself but not mobile enough to move from that position, so when I came home from the grocery store I plopped her down on a blanket and put a few toys in front of her. Then I went to the car for the first load of groceries. I had to walk past… Read More
The Miserable Land of the Unamazed
Last night was one of those tossy-turny events where I alternated my anxieties among a variety of subjects. I worried about my kids and then other people’s kids. Worried about my husband’s worries about other people’s worries. Broke it up with some worries about how I would pay bills, tackle laundry, and load the dishwasher before going into work tomorrow…. Read More
Anxious about How You’ll Make It through What’s Ahead?
A friend at church asked when my daughter is getting married. I said, May 25, and her eyes got big. She said, Oh, that’s really soon. Like I should be scared. So I was scared. I had one of those talks with God where he sits calmly in the chair and I pace all around him, throwing my hands up… Read More
Let Prayer Catch Your Anxiety off Guard
I walked into school anxious. I’m still pretty new at this teacher thing and often feel like a kid whose a bit wobbly on brand new ice skates. I was breathing deeply, trying to think courageous thoughts. My first stop is always the teachers’ work room where the mailboxes are. My box is usually empty, but yesterday there was a… Read More