Blog
One Is Silver and the Other Gold
The popularity of Facebook has made the concept of community-building via the internet commonplace. But for most of us, our Facebook friends are people we know in real life, even if we haven't seen them in a long time or do not know them very well. The idea of...
Two Walks
I love walking, but I like to walk SOMEWHERE. That's something I miss since our move from an urban neighborhood with sidewalks and shopping, parks, and more within just a few blocks, to a suburban home on a dangerous road with no sidewalks at all and no safe way to...
Thanks be to God
If you are a mother, you remember how excited you were to hear your baby say, “Mama,” for the first time. Today my friend Katie got to experience that joy again, but infinitely multiplied, when Henry woke up and said, “Hi, Mama.” Praise God! But please keep praying,...
I wish Virginia Lee Burton could see this
Our new home was not the first home built on this property. Ours was built around 1960 by a man who grew up in this little yellow house that still stands (just barely) in the woods behind us. Anyone who knows me would realize that if I think an old house is too far...
Please Pray . . .
. . . for my friend Katie, and her 18-year-old son, who is in the ICU in critical condition after being brutally assaulted. She is the mother of five (one in utero) and I know that she is just devastated by this. Thanks.
Pro-life, or Anti-Abortion?
This is a reprint of the very first column I had published in The East Tennessee Catholic. Although it appeared in late 2001, I had actually written it over two years before, as one of three sample columns which were rejected by the then-editor. What does it mean to...
The Impermanence of Things
When we were preparing for our wedding, around 21 [now over 28] years ago, I made sure to register for a 12-piece place setting of everyday dishes and flatware, because I planned on having lots of kids. We requested Pfaltzgraff stoneware, which seemed like it would...
Just Because
Homeschooling for Dummies
Catchy title, huh? Seriously, though, I just don't think homeschooling is as hard as many people seem to think it is. Or at least it doesn't have to be. Let me tell you how I approached it. When I decided to keep Jake home for fourth grade, I registered him with an...
How to Teach Your Kids to Read . . .
. . . .wherein I share my foolproof secrets for teaching kids to read early and often--NOT! The truth is, I've never taught a kid to read, not from scratch so to speak, and I don't know what the best way is or even if there is a best way. My mother started teaching...
Facebook Friends . . . and Foes?
It's still Education Week, but I'm taking a short detour to ask what you think about discussing controversial topics with your friends on Facebook. Specifically, since it's a social site, is Facebook kind of like a virtual living room, where discussions of politics...
Let's Talk Amongst Ourselves . . .
I see I have an enormous uptick in visitors today thanks to the mention by my friend Katie Allison Granju in her awesome blog. So let's introduce ourselves in the comments below--I'll start! Let me know who you are, how you got here, what you look for in the blogs...
Kindergarten: It's not a walk in the park any more
Kindergarten. Think about the word: a garden of children. It evokes an image of children placed in an environment that allows them to bloom. But is that what it is like these days? Chances are the kindergarten you remember bears little resemblance to the one kids...
Math: How Much Is Too Much?
The accepted wisdom these days seems to be that our kids need more math in order to be "competitive." The requirements at my teenagers' school just changed from three years of math to four--regardless of what level a student has reached upon matriculation. For my...
I Hate Homework
Since this is the week that public school students are taking the TCAPs, I've decided to make it Education Week on my blog. I have enough opinions on this subject for an Education Month, but we'll just have to see how it goes. I've got a busy day ahead of me and as...
She'll Be Gone
It's late, and I haven't had time to post anything today, so I thought I'd share something I wrote a long--VERY LONG--time ago (about 15 years ago). [edit: this happened in 1993] The incident I recount below touched me so much at the time that I wanted to write it...
The Secret to a Happy Life
The following is a reprint of a column that appeared in The East Tennessee Catholic in 2002. When I was pregnant with my third child, friends, family, and strangers in the mall all seemed desperate to know: "Was it planned?" At first I answered, "I'd have to be crazy...
The Feast of St. Bernadette
When I was a little girl, I received The Song of Bernadette as a Christmas gift. The story of Bernadette and the apparitions at Lourdes captivated me, and I immediately decided that Bernadette would be my Confirmation saint years down the road. I recently re-read...
Jesus Is My Uncle
Well, maybe he's not. Actually, I don't believe it at all, because I'm Catholic and our tradition denies that Jesus had any siblings. This is some of the suspicious information you run into doing internet-based genealogy. I was investigating my family history on...
Why I Love Ebay
It really is true that you can find almost anything on ebay. I know that many people shop for clothes there, and even big ticket items like cars, but I like to shop for treasures from the past, childhood toys, the kinds of things you think you will NEVER be able to...
What Is a Baby?
Twenty-eight years ago today--and I remember well my horror at the time, the parents of a child known forever as Baby Doe apparently decided that he was not a human being deserving of love and care when they allowed him to starve rather than correct a minor defect. ...
Mysterious Wisteria
I love Springtime in a new house. Every day is a discovery, as blooms appear, whether seeded by chance or some long-gone resident. Just now I am basking in the beauty of wisteria. I'm sure some people consider it invasive, but I've always wanted some. And now I...
Christ is risen from the dead! Alleluia, Alleluia!
I loved Easter long before I appreciated its religious significance--the excitement of the Easter Bunny, the new clothes, the family dinner, the egg hunt, and most of all the springtime. It's my favorite holiday as an adult, not just because for Christians it is the...
False Fronts: A Visit to Gatlinburg
Just a little over a week ago I wrote of the fires that have been consuming East Tennessee. One of those fires raged out of control last night and destroyed over 150 homes and businesses in Gatlinburg. Just about all Knoxvillians have fond memories of Gatlinburg and...
What’s in a Name?
The following is a reprint of a column that ran in The East Tennessee Catholic newspaper on August 11, 2002. It explains the name of my former column, which is now the name of this blog. Names are important. Think of the time we spend choosing the names we give our...
Uncle Charlie
The picture that currently heads this blog comes from this image: This is a picture of my Uncle Charlie holding my oldest child at the hospital the day after she was born--that's more than 19 years ago. I treasure this picture because Uncle Charlie died just a few...
Hello world!
Since 2001, I have written a bi-monthly column on life issues in the East Tennessee Catholic newspaper. Recently I learned my column was being cut "to make room for some new voices." I was disappointed because I still felt like I had more to say. I've often felt...
