These days I mostly try not to write. My life is so full of work and family and weeding. But every now and then, my brain starts to itch and the only way to scratch that itch is writing. This is where you will find my most recent scratchings.
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Prayer Practice for Atheists
Ever since I first named it and begun to explore it last year, the concept of submission has haunted me. The pea under my mattress, so to speak. I was raised by a very strong, strong-willed woman, and I have grown up into my very own fiery independent female force of nature. I do not yield unless I am overpowered. Yielding is weak. Surrender = defeat. So much of the difficulty of motherhood has been releasing the reins of control. Beginning with birth and continuing every day since. I am overpowered. As I’m fond of saying, it’s easy to get…
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Harvest First, Cook Second
Most modern people think cooking dinner starts with deciding what they feel like eating. Some of us more pragmatic cooks think first about what’s in the fridge, then about what we could do with it. But there is yet another level, which I often find myself on, where the question of dinner is secondary altogether to the pressing concern of using up the food I’ve procured. Have you ever felt that way? I almost find it difficult to leave for the weekend because, like a pet that needs daily care, my food store is a Jenga-like construction of meals on…
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I Love/Hate Gardening
Mostly I love gardening. I mean, to the bone adore it. But goddamn, it can get disappointing sometimes! Especially here in the swamps, where everything grows like crazy, until you’re practically drooling, and then dies. Mysteriously. Summer is the off season here. Gardens limp along. Smarter, richer people than me just cover the whole thing up with plastic to keep the weeds back, then get on a plane headed north. But I just had to at least try all those elusive true summer crops that I can’t grow in Alaska. Melons, tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers. Last year cukes, peppers and…
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Run to the Hills
In August, My Man is going to Alaska. Damn him. Me and the kids got to go last summer, so I suppose it’s only fair. But still, I’ve had to carefully work my head around the envy. Part of my tactic is the same as I use for my 4yo– offer an exciting alternative! And so I started thinking about places closer in that I might like to take the kids on a road trip to. I started by thinking about Tennessee. What’s in Tennessee? Why, The Farm of course! Hippie icon of communal and progressive living, as well as…
calamity jane 