In August, I read the book Dear Mr. Knightley after a friend recommended it to me. I was skeptical at first because I knew it was based on Daddy Long-Legs, which I didn’t like much. But, well, God works in mysterious ways? Dear Mr. Knightley is about a girl (named Sam) who had a difficult… Continue reading Dear Mr. Knightley
What I didn’t know about Querying
We surveyed the kitchen and looked at each other with our dismal future reflecting in each other’s eyes. “What should we do?” my brother asked. My sister and I shook our head. Anything had to be better than this. Plates, cups, silverware, pots, pans, and food everywhere. Sometimes, Easter dinner just wasn’t worth it. Especially… Continue reading What I didn’t know about Querying
Finding Raspberries
“Raspberries! Raspberries!” The general cry of delight was enough for Papa to stop the suburban on our way to town so that we could scramble out. Living deep in the forest, an hour or two from any civilization, had its perks. If you have never experienced a wild raspberry plucked straight from a bush in… Continue reading Finding Raspberries
Redefining Success
It’s been awhile since I’ve spoken about writing. There’s a reason for this. I felt like all I did for awhile there was whine. I whined so much about how hard it was to adjust to my new life, that I was sick of even thinking about my own whining, let alone writing about it.… Continue reading Redefining Success
Pioneer Days. . . and Camping
Remember the simple days? Before phones, electricity, running water. . .Those days, like in Laura Ingalls Wilder, when people built their own houses, and lived on the land. You don't? Well, I do. Okay, maybe not those ones specifically, since I may have been born after electricity and running water was invented, but I can… Continue reading Pioneer Days. . . and Camping
The Dark of the Night
I cowered in the closet, clutching the baby in my arms. I could hear both men out there, searching, slow and dogged. I hugged the baby closer, silently begging it not to cry. The men had already killed everyone else in the house. Surely, I could save this one child. Click. Click. One came closer,… Continue reading The Dark of the Night
Everyday Idylls
I stopped, gasping for breath, gaping up at the sky in complete, utter wonder. No one would ever believe me. So no one but my diary learned about that moment for many years. I was ten or eleven. My family and a few others were walking back to the ranch after visiting the large garden… Continue reading Everyday Idylls
Manure, Roses, and Research
I almost gagged as the scent hit me. As bad as if there were dead animals buried in the foot or so of manure, the smell permeated not just the air around me and my siblings, but anything within a few feet of the barn. We looked at each other, and, I would say took… Continue reading Manure, Roses, and Research
Fancy Dresses and Fairy tales
It was almost midnight. But that did not stop us. Once we had our hearts set on something, it was inevitable we would see it through if at all possible. The benefit to wintering in the Twin Cities with my grandparents (due to untraversable roads in the north) was that there were actually restaurants within… Continue reading Fancy Dresses and Fairy tales
Determination and Articles
My legs trembled as I made my way up the sidewalk to the door of the strange house. I hesitated, swallowing hard, glancing around me, grasped my clipboard a little tighter, and knocked, praying fervently no one would answer. Then again, if I didn’t want anyone to answer, why was I there? I was there… Continue reading Determination and Articles
