Minus forty degree wind chills described as “bracing.†Wave after wave of snowfall described as “just enough to freshen the landscape.†Icy roads that “keep our driving skills honedâ€. It’s becoming harder and harder to come up with euphemisms that uplift as winter wears on. And on. And on. If I hear one more, “Well, we are hardy Minnesotans after… Read More
Crazy Time
“I came to see if Crazy was here.†The man’s voice was thin and crackly and drew my attention. I was leaning on the counter of our local post office waiting for a manila envelope to be weighed, priced, and stamped. Needless to say, this was a welcome and intriguing interruption. Not that a visit to the post office lacks… Read More
The Need To Lash Out
Love and Hate. Intertwined, mysterious, ongoing. This past weekend I read a newspaper article about a young woman who blogs about the ongoing process of accepting her body as is. She is, by popular cultural standards, overweight. Over the years she has dealt with self-abusing thoughts, well intentioned but intentionally painful advice from loved ones, and out and out cruel… Read More
Old and New
I have recently been asked to sit in on a panel of current and former students at Metropolitan State University. The theme is “Students Speak their Minds on Critical Thinking and How to Develop It.” Each of us will give a ten minute presentation on what we feel critical thinking means as a whole, but within the educational system in… Read More
Alvinnnnnnn
When my dad, Alvin, passed away in October my siblings and I searched for ways to honor his memory, his humor, and his ongoing presence in our lives. Some of us asked for simple remembrances like his favorite sweater, or, in my case, his high school class ring. (Unfortunately it was not found among his things.) My sister, Leah, came… Read More
Loss and Meaning
I Lost A Friend This Week Not lost in the “where did I park my car†sense, but lost to cancer’s cruel give-and-take death grip. As my heart grieves her warmth, laughter, and open heart, I find a need to write down what she means to me. Not meant, means. Dianne Aigaki came into my life unexpectedly, as so many gifts… Read More
Cat lesson #14
The combatants held each other’s gaze with fiery intent. The smaller of the two circled, took a soft swing, and rolled to the left. Feeling empowered while the little one was down, the larger one lurched upon the kitten’s exposed belly. Hissing, biting, and scratching, the two played out their roles. I watched, ready to step in if necessary, but… Read More
Reality Distortion
The microphone screeched momentarily, just enough to induce winces and a few yelps from those in attendance, and then the boat captain’s deep voice came through. “Welcome to Ft. Lauderdale! On today’s tour we’ll be seeing how the rich live…†This past week my husband and I flew into Ft. Lauderdale to catch a four-day Princess cruise. At least once… Read More
The Still Places
Have you ever intentionally frozen a moment into your memory? I have. The why of it seems less important than the ability to conjure, at will, an image or scent or sound. For instance I clearly remember giving birth to my children. Not just the labor pains racking my body and tearing places I didn’t want torn, but the scratchiness… Read More
Giese Girl
There’s something about a new kitten that shakes up a household. Beyond the worries of stepping on her, feeding her too much or too little, acclimating her to Pudgy’s sweeping mood changes, and finding her amongst the mysteries of the crawl space, bonding occurs. Every so often I look up with that “somebody is staring at me feeling†and catch… Read More
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