After spending the last 30 hours without electricity due to the tornadoes that swept the area (after giving thanks that we had no damage to property or person), I've learned the following: Someone has to be last to have their power restored (we were among the last 200 households in Northern Virginia), and if you … Continue reading In the dark
Category: Writing life
Back to school – and back to basics
Today, my older daughter started first grade, and ended a summer that had deteriorated into hours of her watching tv, fighting with her younger sister, and repeating "I'm bored" many times a day. I worried that she would balk at getting ready to go this morning, but when I woke, she was already dressed with … Continue reading Back to school – and back to basics
At the Zoo
Today we spent most of the day at the National Zoo. I realized that my younger daughter (nearly three) had never been to the zoo, and hoped that having her see and hear the animals in person would correct some of her misperceptions (for example, whenever she sees a bird - any type - she … Continue reading At the Zoo
Sitting still
Yesterday I slipped while heading down the stairs and fell squarely on my ankle on a hardwood step. My ankle is swollen and throbbing today, and walking is difficult. I'm on the couch with an icepack and my laptop, trying not to move. In my daily life, I move almost constantly. When you're at home … Continue reading Sitting still
The difficult balance of parenting and writing
It has been a rough summer. With two little kids at home - one that talks constantly, and one that is learning words rapidly - I often feel I don't have time to have an independent thought, only time to react, correct, direct. I haven't completed a poem all summer, though many sheets of paper … Continue reading The difficult balance of parenting and writing
Coffee, Books, and Pastries
We just returned from a week at the Outer Banks with our family, a trip that is the highlight of our year. One of our favorite hangouts there is Duck's Cottage, a bookstore/coffee shop with comfy couches on the porch, a small selection of books (from local and literary to "Shades of Grey"), and the … Continue reading Coffee, Books, and Pastries
Shaping Grief
Our nation mourns the terrible events of Friday night in Aurora, Colorado, and holds those who suffered - and those who are still suffering - in our hearts. From H.D.'s "The Tribute:" 7 As we lift the bright heads of the wild flowers, compare leaf to leaf, as we touch the hemlock and poppy, may … Continue reading Shaping Grief
Midsummer nights
Today I'm letting Adrienne Rich say something inspiring about this sweltering night, which has me camped in front of the A/C register. I love the coolness of her images here: the blue stones in the moonlight, and her solitude "half-blotted by darkness." Here is an excerpt from the final poem of her "Twenty-One Love Poems:" … Continue reading Midsummer nights
Debris of a derecho
On June 29, many residents of the D.C. area learned a new word: "derecho," which is an intense windstorm. We were traveling in California when it hit, but were able to see the devastating results all over the internet and Facebook. During a time of record heat, the power outages throughout the area - which … Continue reading Debris of a derecho
Poems on Travel
Every summer, we head to California to visit family. Although our six-hour plane trip - with little kids in tow - is decidedly unromantic, that moment of lift-off, of anything-can-happen, is marvelous. On the subject of plane travel, I love David Brendan Hopes' poem "A Jet Flying Over Oxford." Here's an excerpt from the poem, … Continue reading Poems on Travel
Between Gods 