Some people say the hearth is the heart of a house, and our cat would surely agree, but to me, the heart of our home lies in our crafts room. It has taken on many guises over the years as I have lugged bins of supplies from as early as 1990 from one place to … Continue reading Exercise for the Art Heart
Reflections
Craft: Taking notes
One of the legacies of growing up in a pen-and-paper world is that I take handwritten notes on the books I find enriching. If I'm particularly inspired, I might copy my notes again into a different format. As I mentioned in a previous post, I have been riveted by Stephen and Andrea Levine's "Who Dies: An Investigation of Conscious Living and … Continue reading Craft: Taking notes
Poetry: Where have you gone?
Well hello little baby Word less, emotion full How did you become… Our little one Reaching for my hair, my eyes Your arm around my neck Where have you gone? You, too, little girl You who held my hand, Told me stories Wanted me, always Where have you gone? Say, big girl You who grew … Continue reading Poetry: Where have you gone?
Green Lights
Further proving that I am a nut who uses a Magic 8 ball in times of indecision, I am going to share with you that I play a game with myself in which I follow green lights. I think of this in its highest form in San Francisco, when we lived and worked within walking distance … Continue reading Green Lights
Coming Full Circle
“Stay at the center of your own soul There is nothing else you can do.” William Martin, Parents’ Tao Te Ching* In the process of accepting G’s increased need for autonomy, I have noticed my thoughts circling back to my mother. Re-runs of my childhood often are playing on a background screen in my mind. … Continue reading Coming Full Circle
Under A Rock
When G was about two and a half, we were up at our building site playing while X was working. She lifted up a large rock and got the shock of her life. Thousands of ants. It looked like the earth was moving. Poor kid, it took her many moons to process the experience. She … Continue reading Under A Rock
Grief Roulette
A few days after G turned 12.5, the axis of our world shifted. The stakes rose and the emotional temperature did too. How we navigated seventh grade is a book of its own, a preview of coming attractions. When she turned 13, we experienced a rapprochement, albeit part of a super intense year of homeschooling, un-schooling, … Continue reading Grief Roulette
The Greats
In the spirit of surrendering attachment, my New Year’s resolution was to go back to the church of my childhood. In the course of growing up, I learned about the atrocities committed in the name of God or one true path and became further upset recognizing that almost all of the characters were male, especially when … Continue reading The Greats
To Non-Attachment
Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose. - Yoda It took me a while to come up with a tag line for this blog site. The memoir's subtitle is Discovering Motherhood After a Loss. But the blog was born out of living a polarity, publishing essays about raising a little person while living … Continue reading To Non-Attachment
Parenting with a Magic 8 Ball
Part of my parenting role now is careful, considered detachment. There are books upon books about attachment, but the reality is a lot of that comes naturally. Sure, it’s exhausting, and you don’t always know if you’re doing it right, but instinct typically is your friend. When someone cries, it's innate to reach out and console. … Continue reading Parenting with a Magic 8 Ball
Where I End & She Begins 