Into the Wild Wood and Home Again

Thunderstorms are in the forecast-- we could use a small bit of rain for the garden, but gee whiz, can't it just rain at night? I don't want much, do I? I have a meeting with our new department member today; she is a delightful person, a former student, and I'm pleased to be helping her become a cracker-jack English teacher-- I won't be there forever (though it feels like I have been!), and it's a privilege to help someone else in ways I was not helped when I was brand new in the profession.  Then I have PT again; I hope it's not quite as intensive this time, because I was pretty sore after the last go-round. I want to make real gains, but pain is a factor.  That all said, I need to hustle my bustle this morning-- I have to be at school for 8am. I spent all morning yesterday working on (and finishing!) a book review. I also started scheduling guest poets for the open mic series (stay tuned! we have some good people coming!), and helped my boss with some stuff fo...

Good morning! This week should be a less busy one (sort of?), but I already have a to-do list growing for today. But first, a little something to share with you: a review of What to Keep ! I am floored by the kind attention this reviewer paid to my little book!  MicroLit Almanac is a lovely publication, and I have nothing but huge respect for the editors. I love writing book reviews for them, but this is my very first time sitting on the other side of the desk, so to speak.  That said, I have one I am late getting written, and two more books waiting for me on my desk. I will be writing like crazy to get at least one done by the end of this week.  Take care, C

"Who do you say I am?" This is the question Jesus pressed Peter (who was still Simon at that point) to answer ( Matthew 16 ). And this is the central question that our new associate pastor, Fr. Rory Traynor, focused on as well in today's homily. It's not enough to give the "safe answers," such as "they say you are..."-- we need no apologia if we are convinced about who Jesus is to us personally.  It's a lot to ponder; it's not nearly enough to just parrot what we learned in CCD or Sunday School. It's not enough to quote Scripture. It's a question that we need to grapple with, over and over again, to find out what we truly believe. Not just reciting the Apostle's Creed or any other credo; what do we know to be true? That goes deep, doesn't it? And yes, we have seasons of doubt. And yes, we sometimes have to just cling to the words until we get our footing again. And yes, we will be tested, over and over and over again. We ca...

  We live in a toxic performative culture, one where the optics matter more than the substance. This holds true in everything from overtly cheering at a little league game (sports mom vibe) to the President of the USA. People spend thousands --millions-- on things like weddings (Bezos in Venice), grand pomp and circumstance graduations, funerals... where all the outer trappings are in place, but the meaning is all but eliminated. Shouting and chair throwing on talk shows, "reality" television, yelling over one another to cause a scene (in person or recorded), shock jocks on radio or podcast-- everything is brazen, boisterous, and hollow.  Not that I'm against a tasteful, well-decorated wedding, or a lovely video of a boat ride that shows seals on the beach. Those are things that help us remember the details of life events. But selfie culture is unhealthy, and not everything must be photographed, recorded, or digitally altered to be consumable by people you don't even ...

It's Saturday, and once again, rain is in the forecast. I'm actually pretty surprised it's not full-on raining yet, but the weather does what it wants. I'm not mad about it; the garden could use a day of rain (not monsoon, but a gentle, steady rain would be fine). The organizers of the Independence Day events moved the whole thing to tomorrow, so let's hope the day is a good one then. I kind of want to go: food trucks, pony rides, etc. could be a nice break from all the chaos in the news. Today, I will do all the things I didn't and haven't gotten to this week. I need to do some baking, and a cooler/damp day is just what I need. I have laundry to fold, bathrooms to clean-- the usual drill. I spent yesterday afternoon with Holly, so I shoved all the house stuff to today. Not a bad trade-off at all, because we had a really nice time.  But I'm also looking forward to a slower day today. If I get all my chores done by noon, maybe I'll sit and read for a ...

It's quite chilly (48 degrees), which is a real whiplash change from the 100 we had on Tuesday. That said, I'm also exhausted-- busy week, much busier than I thought I'd be, and I'm kind of grateful for a day that will be punctuated by huswifery: I already made a ham/cheese quiche, and I have laundry and groceries to get to. But not a lot more than that. Physical therapy, and the attendant "homework," have me a little sore. The various events all week have been great, but I am feeling the results of not being home, or being ruled by the clock.  But not today.  Yesterday was super fun, even if I never actually landed back home until almost 8:30 last night. Holly and I went to a story/craft hour at the Coop in the morning, then I scooted off to the radio station to do the interview (that was loads of fun, for real--I'd do it again anytime), I stayed and chatted with Nate (the interviewer/former student/guy who runs the station), then hustled home for a very ...

Much cooler day today-- I don't mind a little break in the heat. Yesterday was pretty nice, though-- great weather, and the pool water was ideal. You know, when you can't tell where your body ends and the water begins... it was perfect. We had a delightful visit/lunch with old friends yesterday, and it was really great to catch up a bit. I always wish the visits were longer. Maybe someday! If anything "good" has come out of our national crisis, it's the realization that we are on borrowed time, always, and we have to connect in person with the people we cherish.  And we have to do the things we cherish. Tonight, I'll be at the Abbie Greenleaf library in Franconia, listening to this year's poet in residence at the Frost Place, Nathan Xavier Osorio , read from his work. I don't know him, and I've only read a couple of his poems online, so this will be awesome. Likely, I'll be coming home with a book. I usually do.  That said, I've spent a lot...