A Great Blue Heron has been perching at the end of our dock lately, so I decided to try to get close enough for a picture. He kept a wary eye on me as I crept closer, finally taking off with his long wings as Ben came clumping down to join me in his dad's big … Continue reading Flight
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Conquering the Frog
We took a little getaway recently, just me, my husband and our 28 year old son who has intellectual disabilities. We had planned some fun activities, but from the moment Ben spotted the kiddie pool, it was all he could think about. “Wog” he said, making the sign for “frog” under his chin, “Me!” And … Continue reading Conquering the Frog
Fall
Here's a look back at a post from this time last year, before my blog was public: Autumn in northern Minnesota is simply spectacular. My morning walks are graced with multitudes of colorful leaves glowing in the sun, fluttering in the breeze, rolling a red and orange and gold carpet out beneath my feet. Many … Continue reading Fall
Masks
Most of the world is under a mask mandate right now. Some view it as a commonsense way to help slow the spread of Covid. Some wear a mask as a sign of respect and kindness towards others. Some wear a mask in obedience to their government. Some view mask wearing as capitulation to illegitimate … Continue reading Masks
Hidden Places
We rambled through the forest, sliding on pine needles and scrambling over granite, heading nowhere except to explore the beauty of the day and the mountains we lived in. We smelled it before we found it, a mountain laurel bay tree tucked into a small ravine near the base of a towering Ponderosa pine. Arrested … Continue reading Hidden Places
When Detours Become Destinations
I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I —I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. The poet Robert Frost penned this iconic poem over a hundred years ago, and I think that many of us … Continue reading When Detours Become Destinations
What if?
We are living in a time of anxiety. As we try to make plans and figure out what life will look like now, our thoughts churn in the background, sapping our strength and feeding our fears of "what if". What if I or my loved one gets sick? Or dies? What if I lose my … Continue reading What if?
Night Meeting
I wrap my jacket around me and step out into the night, quieting the screen door's creak for those sleeping. Over dew-damp grass, lit by stars I walk, to the old dock reaching out into the quiet water. I come for the chance to see the fleeting aurora, whispering green on the horizon. It flickers … Continue reading Night Meeting
Identity
I did my best at the time. As white parents in a white town, we were tasked with giving our multiracial children tools with which to form their identities. So I bought the diverse books. I made sure our nativity set was ethnically accurate. I read about adoption and race. We drove to the city … Continue reading Identity
What I Almost Said
"These people!" I fumed after reading yet another rant on Facebook. "Why is it so hard to just be kind?" In my anger I hammered out the perfect blog post to address the problem. To share my frustration at the anger and self-righteous rants all over social media right now. I felt compelled to speak out. … Continue reading What I Almost Said
A View of the Lake 