February 2, 2012

Well. If I thought that telling people I was a minister could elicit a “does-not-compute” expression, imagine the gazes that accompany the latest addendum to the conversation: “…and what does your husband do?” “well, he recently quit his job to stay home with the kids.” buzzing, clicking, whirring noises. Still processing the chick-preacher component… “Oh, that’s wonderful!” And you know, most people really, truly mean it. Once they get over the initial shock, that is. Most people get that him quitting a... Read more

February 1, 2012

I can think of many movies that i love, but my all-time favorite has to be Forrest Gump. Call me a conformist (because that’s everybody’s favorite movie) but really, what’s not to love? A hero you can root for; a tragic heroine; the backdrop of Americana; an epic journey; a satisfying, full-circle kind of ending; and a fabulous soundtrack to accent the whole of it. One of my favorite parts of that movie is where Forrest and Leiutenant Dan are on the shrimping... Read more

January 18, 2012

Well…I didn’t mean to take a month-long hiatus from blogging, but sometimes, life happens. Thing is, writing is alot like exercise. What begins as, say, a week-long break turns into a month and then 6 months before you know it…because both writing and movement that demand this thing called momentum… and well, once you’ve lost it, it feels almost impossible to start again. There’s a part of your brain that sort of turns itself off, so that what once felt natural,... Read more

December 23, 2011

Yes, the glaciers are melting, and those sad little polar bears on the commercials are trying to remind us. But this is not that. This is a note about living in the desert, where all things green are about as elusive, magical and mysterious as Santa.Last week it rained. I mean ALOT. Alot for the desert, alot for not being monsoon season, alot for anywhere, really. Desert people are not used to this. They can’t drive in it, they think... Read more

December 22, 2011

As promised earlier today  (“To Welcome in the Stranger”)  here’s another take of  “Who Comes this Night,” performed by my brother Chris. Under the video is a link to check out his blog for the music business he shares with his wife. Happy listening. Mockingbird Musicians, Nashville   Read more

December 21, 2011

Oh, the lovely and wonderful things that they don’t play on the radio. In the endless loop of holly jolly reindeer rock–and Celine Dion, of course–we miss out on alot of really beautiful and even prophetic music. James Taylor’s “Who Comes This Night” has become a seasonal fave of mine, and i’ve never once heard it on the radio. Probably because it has little to do with creating a warm, fuzzy, insular Christmas feeling for ones own, and everything to... Read more

December 20, 2011

It was dark. Rainy. Cold. I’d been in the car for about 12 hours. Alone. Intermittent radio signal through the West Virginia Mountains, nothing but wheezing preachers and country (not the good kind) for much of Virginia, over an HOUR sitting still on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge because i lacked the foresight to plan around rush hour. Now I was within a mile of my friend’s house, i just knew that i had to be–but i’d been in circles for... Read more

December 17, 2011

I took a self-care day today. That means, took the kids to a baby sitter, got a massage, got my hair done, had lunch, did some light shopping, generally piddled about. In the course of this day, i encountered stylists, receptionists, check-out personnel, waitresses…you know the scene. So let’s say in the course of this day, no less than 5 people asked me if i was ready for the holidays. The drill is supposed to go something like this: “Are... Read more

December 15, 2011

Me, to the 3-year-old, as I toss some things in a box: “We are going to get rid of some of your toys, before you get new stuff for Christmas.” The kid: “And we’ll give it to some other children?” me: “Exactly! Who taught you about that, somebody at church?” Kid: “No, you did!” The joy for the day: that sometimes they listen. That sometimes, the good stuff sinks in. That “home” and “church” are not utterly separate places. And... Read more

December 13, 2011

Back to my rant on Celine Dion–if you like her, it’s fine. Not judging. Nor do i mean to single out a single performer as “Everything that’s Contrived and Cheesy about Christmas.” Really, there is a whole gaggle of artists contributing to that cause.  I hear Clay Aiken’s “O Holy Night,” and i want to barf more than i want to sing. He literally almost chokes on that low note trying to croon it just right. Thing is, there are only... Read more


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