We made our way to Northfield last Sunday. Our granddaughter, Rosie, had the role of baby Jesus in First UCC’s annual Christmas pageant. She did great smiling at all the shepherds, angels and creatures. In additions to the usual sheep and cows, the animals included a hamster, a chicken and a narwal. I always loved…
I found it intriguing to be traveling in Ireland at the end of October, so close to Halloween. Halloween has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. This time of year, is considered by many to be a liminal time when the…
“Make me a nest in the branches of your arms.” – Gary Boehlhower I thought of these words as I went through the photos Tim took on Sunday at my mom’s 90th birthday party. This photo of my mom with her 3-month-old great granddaughter, Rosie is one my favorite pictures. Rosie is held in her…
What can I say that I have not said before? So I’ll say it again. The leaf has a song in it. Stone is face of patience. Inside the river there is an unfinishable story and you are somewhere in it and it will never end until all ends. I thought of this poem by…
This Mother’s Day marks the first time I celebrate it as a grandmother. The experience of being a nana like motherhood itself has been beautiful and complicated. Our daughter Maddie delivered baby Rosie three weeks early amidst concerns about her growth rate. A few days after giving birth, Maddie developed a severe infection and had…
Last Friday the third graders in Ms. Dol’s class got to create some Spring of their own. The weather service was predicting up to 9 inches of snow for the coming weekend. It was certain to be a wintery mix and mess. It was March 21, officially Spring and so rather than wait for warmth,…
On Friday all the third graders from Myers Wilkins gathered at Grant Field for a dogless sled race to celebrate this year’s John Beargrease Marathon. They had been learning about John Beargrease and the race in his honor all week long. Each class had 4 teams that consisted of a musher and three dogs. There…
“Only in the darkness can you see the stars”. –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr This past weekend we slipped away with some friends to their cabin north of Ely. It was bitterly cold, but the cabin was warm with good conversations and the heat from their wood stove. It was good to be together in…
A couple of weeks ago one of the boys I work with at Myers Wilkins Elementary school got an In School Suspension (ISS). This meant he had to hang out with me all day to do his schoolwork, eat his lunch and even to go out for recess. The school playground was full of kids,…
The early reader book was one he seemed to like. In part because it was repetitive with pictures so he could read it. He loved it in part because he had a big sister. He flipped through the book reading, “My big sister likes to sing. My big sister likes to cook. My big sister…