Christmas Day is now behind us, and what a day it was. Christmas Eve was spent making cookies, playing, getting last minute gifts, taking naps and going to the evening service at church. The kiddos didn’t go to sleep till well past 11pm. Sonya and I hoped they would then sleep in. Abigail awoke at…
Read MoreLongest Night of the Year
Traditionally the longest night of the year is the December 21st but in our family it’s the 23rd. Last year I was up with Abigail nearly all night, watching Lady and the Tramp and Monsters, Inc. and The Wiggles as she threw up and cried. Last night I was up till 2:30am with Elliott as…
Read MoreTake me home, country roads
Upon receiving a Christmas letter from someone in my past, I find myself being mentally transported to that place in Canaan, New Hampshire, where the snow faithfully falls in abundance every year, and people are outnumbered by the trees and the mountains. I feel like a stranger to my own memories, and taking that mental…
Read MoreLet it snow, let it melt, let it rain …
It was a beautiful snow morning. Flakes filling the air, making a hazy glow to the atmosphere. I thought for sure we’d have a nice snow filled day – but we’re in Cincinnati, where when it snows you can be guaranteed that there will be sunshine, the brightest you’ve ever seen, and melt all the…
Read MoreIn my mind, I’m already on vacation…
Just a few short days away from filling the van with boxes, presents, bags, toys, pillows, a cat, setting up the portable DVD player, stocking up on kids movies, making lunches, packing snacks, filling water bottles and hitting the often barren terrain of Ohio, the brief inclines of West Virginia and the endless toll roads…
Read MoreThis too shall come to pass
Ok, I have an idea for a new board game. It’s called The Waiting Game. The aim is to collect friends and allies and to convince “leadership” of the goal you’ve been given. So, a player rolls the dice, and on the squares are your fate: you might land on “gain a new friend”, “your…
Read MoreWhat I want is what I need
Things seem to get more backwards with age. Perhaps I’m on my way to pants up to my arm pits and moth ball cologne. Sonya is trying to get health coverage and now, continually denied. Once one declines, the rest just follow. “Have you ever been denied coverage?”, if you say yes, then they’ll say…
Read MoreSuffering for a cause
I think I’m going to give my advance notice that if by the end of December I do not know a timeline of when this “new service” will be implemented, I will be leaving at the end of January. I can’t keep playing every week, especially when for over a year we’ve been told that…
Read MoreI couldn’t stop it
It happened. Around 5am this morning. I was haunted all night. Uneasy. Elliott woke up with a bad dream and came to our bed for a bit. Then I felt the gurgle. The spin. The twisting rumble of everything inside me demanding exit. Now. So here I am, early afternoon, in bed and exhausted like…
Read MoreButtmonkey
It seems I’m often writing as I watch morning TV shows with Elliott. Alas again … When God calls, we listen. At least we sure hope we do. It’s not necessarily something we want to hear. Nor follow. I find myself in the position of passion and resentment. I feel pushed into exploring and trying…
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