Blog 200: The Pursuit of Peace in the Middle Ages

Vermont Quilt Show

2011-06-24T19:04:00.000-07:00

My first visit to the Champlain Valley Quilt Show, which rivaled any collection of quilts I've ever seen--a spectacular show of folk art. Some of my favorites:

Unleashed Emotions

2011-01-31T18:37:00.000-08:00

After a particularly difficult evening with a bad-tempered Daughter (tired after a sleepover), Husband read this passage in Keith Richard's autobiography Life. It made us laugh. "The power of the teenage females of thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, when they're in a gang, has never left me. They nearly killed me. I was never more in fear for my life that I was from teenage girls. The ones that

The Ghosts In Me

2011-01-22T09:04:00.000-08:00

I was corresponding with a friend the other day about some ranch land near Elko, Nevada, that one wing of my family managed in the early to mid-1900s. He knew of the area and told me that he always thought I "had a little hillbilly" in me. My response to him was that I have the ghosts of many things stirring in me--even Republicans. His response: "They all watch over you and make sure you

Thirteen

2011-01-10T05:40:00.000-08:00

Dearest Daughter: A day or so ago, when we talked about how to celebrate your 13th birthday, you told me this: You: I don't want a party. Me: What? How could that be? This is a big year for you. You: No it's not. Sweet 16 is the big oneMe: What do you mean, Sweet 16? You: You know, the year you get the biggest birthday party of your life?Me: No, I don't think I knew about that. You:

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2011-01-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles brought many "firsts" to our new lives: Tom's first real job out of college--writing dBase documentation at Ashton-Tate Avocados In-and-Out Burger El Pollo LocoChristmas on a beach Body builders on a beach An apartment a block from the beach (where we moved after about five months) Authentic Mexican food Surfing (just Tom--a neighbor named Louie taught him) Jasmine and gardenias

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2010-12-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

When we arrived in Los Angeles--bright eyed and a bit overwhelmed by the size of the place--our first mission was to find a place to live. We had no idea where to start looking, but we had a general idea where the campus was and where my office was, so we somehow settled in San Gabriel, within walking distance to the Clearman's North Woods Restaurant, where we often enjoyed a burger, red cabbage

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2010-12-27T08:14:00.000-08:00

June 1987. I've just graduated from Michigan Tech University, and I'm scheduled to be at USC in Los Angeles for grad school in September. Tom (not yet Husband) decides to come along. "I've always wanted to go to LA," he says casually. I don't think either of us gave the arrangement much thought beyond that. My parents are somewhat glad I'm not going alone. His parents are reluctant (read:

Eleven

2010-12-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

Dearest William: In this belated birthday letter for 2010--the year you turned 11--I will tell you why I think you may be destined to become a frat boy... It came to light yesterday, when you were describing the "Core Olympics" in which your class was participating on the last day of school before Christmas break. "I really want to be in the frozen t-shirt contest, where you take a frozen

Ho, Ho, Ho!

2010-12-10T14:32:00.000-08:00

For a couple days now, I've been working on a blog about how to simplify the holidays. I deleted it, however, because at the end of the blog, I figured out that being spirited isn't really all that complicated. You decorate a tree, give some gifts, bake some cookies, plan a few family meals. Eh voila! You got yourself a solid holiday. Little One is full of cheer and is pulling the rest

A Crack in Everything

2010-12-08T10:15:00.000-08:00

Feeling a little heavy hearted whenever I see news about Elizabeth Edward's passing today. What a role model and figure of strength. Note to self: Remember this: In an interview, she quoted this from Leonard Cohen's "Anthem": Ring the bells that still can ring.Forget your perfect offering. There's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. From her latest book: "[When my

Seven

2010-12-02T13:19:00.000-08:00

Dear Max: You turned seven 82 days ago, and I missed the opportunity to write you a birthday letter then. So here goes now... Just yesterday, I went to your school library to see if I could find a missing book. When I told the librarians your name, they both smiled, and said, "We love Max." They didn't even seem to care that you had lost a book. I told them that I love you too but that

2011 Special Olympics VT Scarf Project

2010-11-27T07:37:00.000-08:00

Knitters and Crocheters NeededHelp make scarves for Special Olympics Vermont Winter Games athletes! Scarf color(s): Bright green—solid or with white Suggested yarn: Red Heart “Paddy Green”, Encore 054, Berroco Comfort 9752 (washable yarn preferred) Suggested size: 6” wide x 5’ long Suggested pattern, needles: Your choice Deadline: February 14, 2011 Please send or deliver completed scarves to:

Pet Raccoons

2010-11-22T08:04:00.000-08:00

These will be my last comments about Little Heathens. Promise. Picture this: 1930s, farm in Iowa, cozy farm kitchen lit with oil lamps, kids sitting at a kitchen table doing homework. With raccoons sitting on their shoulders! They tamed them. Raccoons, of all things. Tamed to the point where the raccoons would figure out how to open the door latch, sneak in, and sit under the children's

Retrospection

2010-11-15T21:30:00.000-08:00

"Retrospection can be illuminating, it can be numbing, it can be sobering; it can be fruitful, if can gladden my heart, and it can drown me in despair. But looking back on my early days on our farm in Iowa, I find that I take enormous satisfaction in my memories of the past, and my reflections on how that time, so rich, so satisfying, so fulfilling, yet so undeniably challenging, affected me."

Remedies

2010-11-14T20:28:00.000-08:00