I put up our Nativity scene last weekend. It's a vintage manger with much-loved and slightly dog-eared figurines that I inherited from my mother. You've probably seen similar versions, at garage sales or antique stores. For some reason, it never got set up last year. But since this is the 20th anniversary of my mom's passing, I …
Barely Two Weeks ‘ Til…
Barely two weeks ‘til Christmas and all through our house,Decorations are missing, misplaced by some louse.The stockings are hung by the chimney with care,But the mantle, the window and table are bare. No fruit cakes, no cookies, no smell of baked goodsNo candles are burning of evergreen woods.The presents are stuffed in a closet somewhere,In the hopes that the family …
Music of the Season
Years ago, when I studied in France, there was no foreign exchange program directly through my college, so I went overseas with a group of students from Pella, Iowa. I still remember the first time we toured the region of Normandy. At some point, someone started singing a song. Slowly, everyone on the bus joined in. …
Honoring Emotions
The best way to deal with emotions, whether they're positive or negative, is to honor them.
The Gnomes of Status Quo
Have you ever noticed how status quo fights against change? Like a stubborn, naughty gnome, Status Quo stamps his tiny feet demanding NO change. I've often encountered these annoying little creatures, but recently they have persistently appeared in three areas of my life: the junk mail stack, the bathroom scale, and family Christmas traditions. If …
Outfoxing the Balance of Nature
In nature, even among humans, the stronger often prey on the weaker. Sometimes, for the sake of humanity, it's important for "uninvolved bystanders" to step in and say, "enough."
Out on a Limb 