I remember rolling a cart through the office superstore and piling it full of pens, file folders, printer cartridges, staples, a box of coffee creamers, reams of copy paper and a stack of pink message pads. My work as Administrative Coordinator for a start-up church—my first job out of college—included restocking the supply cabinet at the end of the hall. I’d swipe the … [Read more...]
Curiosity Journal: May 16, 2012
Each Wednesday (or thereabouts) I’ve been recording a Curiosity Journal to recap the previous week using these tag words: reading, playing, learning, reacting and writing.:::ReadingAfter lunch on Sunday, I said I was sleepy."Lie in the hammock, Mom," the kids said. "It's Mother's Day. You should relax." … [Read more...]
A Turn for the Better
"I think you have some shingles for me," I said, as I greeted the driver of a delivery truck."It says I'm supposed to put them in front of the garage...in front of the garage...in front of the garage." He chuckled and pointed to the order form. Sure enough, there it was in capital letters, at least three or four times: "IN FRONT OF THE GARAGE."I laughed at his joke. "Well, … [Read more...]
Wendell Berry Road Trip (Part 1 of 3)
A friend of mine moved to the university town where I was a student. A week-and-a-half ago, she sent me an e-mail with this subject line: "Wendell Berry here all week" Wendell Berry? Right in my own state...at my alma mater? Sure enough. Last Tuesday night he was to read from his work; Wednesday was an interview of some kind; Thursday he would do another reading; … [Read more...]
Weeds Mean Work
My parents purchased their farm in the mid-1970s from Mr. Hayden, one of those wiry old farmers who was fully dressed at the crack of dawn, hoeing the garden, gathering eggs, scooping grain into the manger for the cows, and checking the fences.Fences need to be checked regularly to be sure they are intact. Like so many things in life, fencing can be broken, sagging, … [Read more...]