The thing Daughter wanted the most for Christmas this year was a microscope. As fortunate people, we were able to make that happen for her and she was beyond thrilled. In a quiet moment on Christmas morning, after she ran outside to gather a few specimens for examination, she and I got to chatting. After… Continue reading Micro views
You may have noticed the lack of blog post on Wednesday, December 21. As I write this it is still that day, and I am patiently waiting in my doctor’s office to find out if I have cancer. I had biopsies on a mass in my breast and on my lymph nodes last week, and… Continue reading The Waiting
When I was a kid, I used to watch Little House on the Prairie reruns all the time. It was one of my favorite shows, and I can remember watching it with my childhood best friend all the time. There are a few episodes which stand out in my mind very clearly: when Mr. Edwards came… Continue reading A simple orange
I have had a lot going on this week, and I have only a little bit to say about all of it right now. Thanks to a few people giving me the right words at the right time, and one in particular reminding me of this bit exactly, I was able to remember some very… Continue reading short and sweet
Just Monday I shared about a special gift I received from a student many years ago. That story is a wonderful one to me but it tugs at my heartstrings because I feel like I was once a teacher but am not one any longer. My psychiatrist fights me on this point, saying that while… Continue reading More gifts
At this time of year as people we don’t see all the time gather and find they don’t have a ton to talk about, someone will inevitably ask, “What’s the most wonderful gift you’ve ever received?” I really like it when this comes up, actually, because I love to hear all of the stories of… Continue reading The best gifts
I feel like I’m always talking about words, and today will not be different. Nuances are so extraordinary to me and the impact that our choices in words can have should never be ignored. An example from this week has hit me more powerfully than most passing observations I’ve had before. Like most it was… Continue reading Words, for the third time
When I started college I was a music education major, I had been preparing for it since I was about 13. I knew I needed to be a music teacher. My main instrument was the saxophone, and my horn and I began at school ready to take on the world. It didn’t take long for me to… Continue reading Practice
When I was working towards my master’s degree in England, I had some pretty interesting people as my professor advisors. One was a tiny, old priest who I instantly trusted and adored. When I was working with him he recommended a certain book, which I discovered in my search in the library was considered a… Continue reading Death of a hero
I try to find the reason in all the bad stuff that happens. I guess it’s one of those stupid coping mechanism things, but it’s all I have in the middle of the night when something has me to bothered to sleep. In my life, I’ve usually been able to find the reason for most… Continue reading I already know
Elephants in the Room 