Extraordinary in Joy

We live in a world where often joy is sucked away by others, even if we try hard to keep it. Gatekeepers shoo away any of those who want to be part of fandoms of all sorts because they aren’t “enough.” Unhappy people say snide comments meant to deflate the bubbles of elation. Look at […]

Waiting for peace

It was a year ago that the other half and I were stuck in a period of waiting. We were in the process of closing on our first house, this tiny abode in our little swath of the Midwest. The waiting period was anything but peaceful, as there were stresses, a portion of the roof […]

Continuing the journey

We are in a season of Advent once more. In the Northern Hemisphere, the days are shorter and the nights grow long. In my little swath of the Midwest, snow and chilly weather abound, creating havoc at times. Read any newspaper or even scroll through the comments on social media and it seems that joy, […]

From grief to hope

It’s the first of December and the front room of my little house is in disarray. There are totes everywhere, half opened and partially rummaged through. Fall decorations sit on the floor. My Christmas tree is up and decorated (and then at times partly undecorated by the felines). I have a few lights in the […]

Grief comes like a thief

It has taken me days to get words to paper, as it should. This past Saturday night, after saying good bye to one of my besties who had spent the day with us, the other half and I decided to call his dad and stepmother to check in on them. Today, I am grateful I […]

Do Unto Others….

We’re nearing the elections here in the United States, and man oh man is this a very polarized election. It seems no matter where one turns, they are hearing how if they aren’t FOR a certain candidate, then they are against everything that candidate stumps for. The nation feels divided and it seems that disagreement […]

Courage

There’s a scene in the Gospel of Matthew where Jesus sends his disciples out on a boat on a lake. Later that night, he appears to them, walking on the water amidst the winds that blew. The disciples are afraid, thinking they’ve seen a ghost. But then Jesus yells at them to take courage. Peter, […]

State fairs and magic

It’s no secret that I live in Iowa. Or, perhaps it is, since I often call this area “my little swath of the Midwest” on this blog and in other place. But yes, I live in a state where there are more vowels than consonants. I happen to live in the capital city of Des […]

Calming the Noise

“If we’re adding to the noise…. Turn off this song…..If we’re adding to the noise… Turn off your stereo, radio, video” ~ Switchfoot “Adding to the Noise” Our world has a great deal of distractions. We have information at our fingertips. We have food that can be zapped in a matter of minutes. We have […]