Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:8-9 Confession: I’m not sure if I am reading all the dark stories on purpose, or if I am being unconsciously drawn to […]
Roe v. Wade, and the lullabye my mother taught me Read More »
There’s no doubt about it: Mennonite bloggers are getting braver. Ooh, and this is a good thing, for voices to be found and viewpoints to be expressed. It does have its issues. I read three articles in the past couple of weeks, by three of them— (Don’t you love the lumping all-conclusiveness of “them”? As
Productive controversy Read More »
Dear Son, It is always easier not to feel. Some days, even weeks, I am entirely numb, knowing I lost you but unable to feel a thing—no love, no loss, no tears. Then comes a day when it all breaks over me. And afterwards I get up and clean my house again and cook supper
Recently I came across two pictures on social media that filled me with joy. They are wildly different: the first, pristine and elegant, mysterious, imaginative; the second, grainy and smudgy and hopelessly outdated. Look at this. Rob Gonsalves is a Canadian artist who likes playing with optical illusion and duplicate realities. Here is more of
Two pictures that make me incredibly happy Read More »
Once upon a time in the aisles of Aldi, I came up against a stranger at the cheese cooler. She was tall and trim, with lush curly hair. She flashed a megawatt smile at my daughter and flitted through her purchases, energy oozing out of her. We chatted a little. “String cheese, string cheese,” she
The string cheese incident Read More »
She made them better than anyone else could: small and perfect rounds, soft and sugared. And then she’d make them in miniature, the size of an American quarter, just for the little people. We called her Tiny Grandma, and her hallmark cookies? Ginger. I have her recipe, and when I bake her cookies I remember
Ginger cookies filled with buttercream Read More »
No, I haven’t forgotten. And yes, I offered the opportunity of writing this post to my husband, who laughed out loud. “No, really,” I said, “would you?” “I know better than that!” he said. So I waited. Two days later I asked him again. He looked startled and said “Goodness, when?” Which being interpreted is,
When talking with women Read More »
Dear Naomi, We first met over a cat. Four cats, to be precise, darling little mewling things with a sign that said “Free.” I fell instantly in love with them. We were at an autumn barn social, as I recall, where we bobbed for apples and ladled cider out of a brand new toilet (whose
Tribute to a childhood friend Read More »
Confession: This week I spoke a greater volume of ridiculous words than I ever intended to. Some of them I cannot recall without a wave of horror. Chances are, if you had an email, text or personal conversation with me this week, I made a fool of myself. This week I lay on my couch
I forgot one crucial piece I was going to mention about communicating with men. 5. Round up. Not like a cowboy, like a mathematician. He means well, it just sounds different in manspeak. Round it up to the closest equivalent. Hm. = I’m listening, keep talking. Aw. = You poor dear girl, I can only
The fifth suggestion Read More »
