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swim buddy

When I was growing up we had a poster in our basement play area that showed two kids playing and the caption from Ecclesiastes 4:9-10,...

Big Announcement!

I'm excited to share that I've signed on with Dawn Dowdle at Blue Ridge Literary Agency! My next project is a murder mystery involving a...

adjust

My youngest offspring has always needed to move. He runs, jumps, flips, spins, and throws with dexterity and speed. Sport is as essential...

space

I haven't written much here lately, but trust me, I have been writing. A few times a week I hike at a local nature preserve, a habit that...

bull(thistles)

It's a sultry 76 degrees this morning and I started a fire in our backyard pit. (Disclosure: I hate fires. When people are all, "Hey,...

smörgåsbord

Smörgåsbord is one of those Swedish words that sounds suggestive of its meaning. Smörgåsbord has a rich and satisfying sound, filling the...

kindness

Acts of kindness that I still reflect on: When I was sixteen I was riding my bike to the public library on a very rainy day. Somehow (I...

smackdown

Monday started a new term and the first writing assignment I give my students involves crafting some flash nonfiction. I guide them...

escape

I haven't been to the ocean in two years until this past week. For me that's a big deal. There's something specifically restorative about...

thorn

For just over five years we have had the sweetest cat. He turned up one summer evening in our back yard. The boys were playing outside...

killers

For years I've enjoyed the pleasures of a nature center up the road from my house. Purdy offers plenty of trails with hills, prairie and...

fresh start

I keep thinking of this song by Semisonic called "Closing Time" with the lyrics "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's...

ugh, March

Winter doesn't really reach its stride until January, so 31 days of cold and snow feels new and fresh. February is short, plus I have a...

Explorer Joan

We've hit what I refer to as "Deep Winter." February smacks us full in the face with bitter cold and only the unseasoned and stupid...

do you see what I see?

I ran some errands yesterday and as I drove around I was treated to a lot of Christmas decorations propped outside people's houses. Some...

proceeding apace

A couple of bird feeders hang outside my window and flocks of visitors arrive all day long. Even on this dreary winter day, sparrows,...

first one done

The report from Room 209: This first week of the school year was ... really different. My students' desks are arranged in rows per CDC...

perspective

I'm different than I was yesterday. Every day I learn new information or have a new experience, and my knowledge expands and my...

past pools

This strange summer I have worn down a path moving through my daily routine. Kitchen to make coffee. Library to write. Garden to pull...

wild living

This quiet summer means I get to swim nearly every day. In order, my strokes of preference are: back stroke (my best and fastest), breast...

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