Lindsay, at Young Married Mom has compiled a lovely list of ideas and resources, as she grieves the loss of Ethan Karl. Some of them are also included in my book, but one that is new to me is Miscarriage Blankets and More. So sweet and so sad.
And Lindsay, many prayers going up for you today as you continue to heal.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sympathy and Thanks
My deepest sympathy goes out to Amy, who just posted about her recent loss.
And thank you, Amy, for such kind words about After Miscarriage.
And thank you, Amy, for such kind words about After Miscarriage.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Betsy-isms
Betsy-isms:
While reading Pippi Longstocking to Ramona, I said, "Pippi, watch out!"
Betsy replied, "Pippi will never die! She's the Jason Bourne of children's lit."
~~~~~
Also? Betsy's designing a Downton Abbey theme park. The roller coaster will be called "The Emotional Ups and Downs of Mary Crawley."
While reading Pippi Longstocking to Ramona, I said, "Pippi, watch out!"
Betsy replied, "Pippi will never die! She's the Jason Bourne of children's lit."
~~~~~
Also? Betsy's designing a Downton Abbey theme park. The roller coaster will be called "The Emotional Ups and Downs of Mary Crawley."
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
"Do Not Put On a Gloomy Face" -- Or, Bits and Pieces of Our Days
It's Ash Wednesday!
Mayhaps Ash Wednesday does not, in your view, call for an exclamation point. Especially if you are giving up coffee. Which I'm not doing this year. So my exclamation points remain.
One of the antiphons in today's Morning Prayer is, "When you fast, do not put on a gloomy face, like the hypocrites." So, you'll find no gloom here on this Ash Wednesday.
And -- also not gloomy, and something Ramona still loves to do during Lent -- the Lamb of God calendar? I just snapped a new picture of our latest one and added it back to "A Meaningful Lent: The Monstrously Long Post." (Blogger sometimes eats up my photos and leaves ugly, blocky exclamation points in their place. It had done so with my old Lamb of God picture. Why do you do that, Blogger? It's not the kind of exclamation point that I wish to have remaining on my blog.)
The Lamb of God calendar this year (color and bell by Ramona):
Last week we went to Mass at a neighboring parish. As we left they handed out baby bottles (which contained instructions to fill them with change) as part of a collection effort to help women in crisis pregnancies. We took one. A couple of days later, Anne-with-an-e told me that before we return the bottle to the church I should take out the message that Ramona had rolled up and inserted:
(Can you tell we've been reading Pippi Longstocking?)
And also? If I'd listened to the announcements after Mass instead of reading them later in the bulletin, I would have realized that the baby bottle project was for the junior high kids of the parish. No wonder that kid looked at me so funny when I took one of the bottles.
Ramona and I continue to have fun with Ancient Egypt projects. An idea I first got from History Links is an archaeological dig into Jell-O:
Anne-with-an-e read the Van Morrison post yesterday.
"Van Morrison is dead, isn't he?"
"I hope not," I said. "He's advertising his latest tour on his website."
"Oh. I guess if he were, that would make him the Rocking Dead."
* As I was typing this up, I was informed by my daughters that Ramona never actually got around to getting the note into the bottle. She claims she never had plans to do so. The whole story strikes me as Pippi-ish.
Mayhaps Ash Wednesday does not, in your view, call for an exclamation point. Especially if you are giving up coffee. Which I'm not doing this year. So my exclamation points remain.
One of the antiphons in today's Morning Prayer is, "When you fast, do not put on a gloomy face, like the hypocrites." So, you'll find no gloom here on this Ash Wednesday.
And -- also not gloomy, and something Ramona still loves to do during Lent -- the Lamb of God calendar? I just snapped a new picture of our latest one and added it back to "A Meaningful Lent: The Monstrously Long Post." (Blogger sometimes eats up my photos and leaves ugly, blocky exclamation points in their place. It had done so with my old Lamb of God picture. Why do you do that, Blogger? It's not the kind of exclamation point that I wish to have remaining on my blog.)
The Lamb of God calendar this year (color and bell by Ramona):
~~~~~~~~~~
On with the recent bits and pieces:
Last week we went to Mass at a neighboring parish. As we left they handed out baby bottles (which contained instructions to fill them with change) as part of a collection effort to help women in crisis pregnancies. We took one. A couple of days later, Anne-with-an-e told me that before we return the bottle to the church I should take out the message that Ramona had rolled up and inserted:
"Help! We've been on this island for three days with no snuff." *
(Can you tell we've been reading Pippi Longstocking?)
And also? If I'd listened to the announcements after Mass instead of reading them later in the bulletin, I would have realized that the baby bottle project was for the junior high kids of the parish. No wonder that kid looked at me so funny when I took one of the bottles.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ramona and I continue to have fun with Ancient Egypt projects. An idea I first got from History Links is an archaeological dig into Jell-O:
 |
| The remains of ancient civilizations appear to include little green army men. |
 |
| Our Jell-O layers of terra not-so-firma |
Ramona's sugar cube version of a pyramid:
~~~~~~~~~~
Anne-with-an-e read the Van Morrison post yesterday.
"Van Morrison is dead, isn't he?"
"I hope not," I said. "He's advertising his latest tour on his website."
"Oh. I guess if he were, that would make him the Rocking Dead."
~~~~~~~~~~
Betsy bought something that she calls a hoodie and I call her new Obi-Wan inspired clothing. ("Obi-Wan" is a more flattering description than, "That thing makes me think of the Emperor! Ewww!") But it does look incredibly cute on her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
* As I was typing this up, I was informed by my daughters that Ramona never actually got around to getting the note into the bottle. She claims she never had plans to do so. The whole story strikes me as Pippi-ish.
Friday, February 17, 2012
It's "Love George Bilgere Day" at the Blog With the Shockingly Clever Title
Yeah, I know. I've had this day before. A Bilgerian day is one in which I want to linger endlessly at a coffee shop, make wise, witty and insightful observations about the people around me, inventory my dreams, ponder which of them have been realized, scrutinize my shortcomings, and imagine that I can still wear that one pair of jeans.
So, yeah, I love George Bilgere. But who doesn't? Who wouldn't love a poet who writes frequently about coffee and books, and about the shops in which coffee is consumed while bad novels are written, who knows what it is to want to murder someone who's on a cell phone, and who grasps the inner life and hidden meanings wrapped in unwise purchases?
He deserves a day, don't you think?
The Ineffable
by George Bilgere
I'm sitting here reading the paper,
feeling warm and satisfied, basically content
with my life and all I have achieved.
Then I go up for a refill and suddenly realize
...
(Read the rest of it here, at The Writer's Almanac.)
~~~~~~~~~~
Myra is hosting the round up this weekend at Gathering Books.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Blue's Clues or Van Morrison?
I started up some music before starting up the dishes this morning.
"Wait! What's that?" asked Ramona. "Is that the Blue's Clues music?"
"No, honey," I laughed, "it's 'Ball and Chain'. It's a song by Van Morrison."
"Oh! I wondered why you'd be listening to Blue's Clues!"
Yeah. Blue is not my usual morning music thing, especially now that no one in this house carries with her a handy dandy notebook. (Well, they do, but these days the notebooks contain scribbles of short stories, novels, dialogue...)
Strange rumors about Steve Burns have circulated, but to my knowledge no one's ever asserted that he and Van Morrison are actually the same person.
Come to think of it, though, I haven't ever seen them in the same room. Huh.
"Wait! What's that?" asked Ramona. "Is that the Blue's Clues music?"
"No, honey," I laughed, "it's 'Ball and Chain'. It's a song by Van Morrison."
"Oh! I wondered why you'd be listening to Blue's Clues!"
Yeah. Blue is not my usual morning music thing, especially now that no one in this house carries with her a handy dandy notebook. (Well, they do, but these days the notebooks contain scribbles of short stories, novels, dialogue...)
Strange rumors about Steve Burns have circulated, but to my knowledge no one's ever asserted that he and Van Morrison are actually the same person.
Come to think of it, though, I haven't ever seen them in the same room. Huh.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Some Recent Mentions of After Miscarriage ...
from some women who allowed me to use some of their words in the book:
A lovely post from Melanie Bettinelli at The Wine Dark Sea.
And Sue at Living and Learning mentioned it posted recently, too.
A lovely post from Melanie Bettinelli at The Wine Dark Sea.
And Sue at Living and Learning mentioned it posted recently, too.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Twelve Things I've Learned in (Almost) Twelve Years of Homeschooling
1. You can't mess up Kindergarten. Really. You can't.
2. Don't worry about preschool, either. It's called "living with three- and four-year-olds." Have fun with them. Make stuff. Invite them into the kitchen. Get outside. Learn to love glitter (or at least tolerate it.)
3. The strengths and weaknesses you see in your children when they're six years old will be (for the most part) the same things you see when they are ten, or fifteen, or eighteen. Build on the strengths. Help them find ways to shore up their weak areas, but don't define them by the weaknesses.
4. Don't worry about when they read, just that they do read. And are read to. Stay focused on a love of books and learning, and whether reading clicks at age four or age eight won't matter. (I had "early" readers and a "late" reader, but the "late" reader is now voracious, an avid reader who gobbles up great books. I'm so grateful we never labeled her "late", which might have deceived her into believing that reading wasn't her thing.)
5. At-home schedules (i.e., "Breakfast at 8" or "Math is always at 9") make me cranky and they don't work for me. Routines, however, and "pegs" (thanks to Leonie for the idea!) help me thrive. Read about pegs here, from Lissa.
6. There are all kinds of gaps in education. My daughters have gaps. Your kids have gaps. Students in public and private schools have gaps. I have gaps. They are inevitable, unless you're the Omniscient God. Which I am not. Accept it: there will be gaps. Then spend your whole life filling them with astonishing, interesting, stimulating new things.
7. Blog. Or scrapbook. Or keep files. Or take loads of pictures. Find your best way to keep a record. On bad days, you can look over your blog/scrapbook/bulging files/photo albums and see that you have, indeed, been doing good stuff. Lots of it.
8. Things that don't look at all like "school" can be extraordinarily educational.
9. A lot of people are petrified of homeschooling through high school. I was scared, too. Worried that I could not do it justice. I might not have. (See "Gaps", above.) But we did it. We took it one year at a time. Now my eldest child will be graduated from "homeschooling" to "the real world" after spending the last twelve years in the real world, homeschooling. It's possible. It's fun. It makes for a great family relationship.
10. There will be times of teetering standards. Days of doubt. There will be angst and worry. Keep going. Unless you live in a Soma-saturated Brave New World, you will have bad days. That's not a bad thing. That's called life.
11. There will be changes in your homeschooling ideas and philosophies. But don't worry about that. Think of yourself as the Shark of Homeschooling: you have to keep moving or you die.
12. Couldn't colleges could save a lot of money and lower their tuition if they'd stop sending us all those glossy promotional materials?
2. Don't worry about preschool, either. It's called "living with three- and four-year-olds." Have fun with them. Make stuff. Invite them into the kitchen. Get outside. Learn to love glitter (or at least tolerate it.)
3. The strengths and weaknesses you see in your children when they're six years old will be (for the most part) the same things you see when they are ten, or fifteen, or eighteen. Build on the strengths. Help them find ways to shore up their weak areas, but don't define them by the weaknesses.
4. Don't worry about when they read, just that they do read. And are read to. Stay focused on a love of books and learning, and whether reading clicks at age four or age eight won't matter. (I had "early" readers and a "late" reader, but the "late" reader is now voracious, an avid reader who gobbles up great books. I'm so grateful we never labeled her "late", which might have deceived her into believing that reading wasn't her thing.)
5. At-home schedules (i.e., "Breakfast at 8" or "Math is always at 9") make me cranky and they don't work for me. Routines, however, and "pegs" (thanks to Leonie for the idea!) help me thrive. Read about pegs here, from Lissa.
6. There are all kinds of gaps in education. My daughters have gaps. Your kids have gaps. Students in public and private schools have gaps. I have gaps. They are inevitable, unless you're the Omniscient God. Which I am not. Accept it: there will be gaps. Then spend your whole life filling them with astonishing, interesting, stimulating new things.
7. Blog. Or scrapbook. Or keep files. Or take loads of pictures. Find your best way to keep a record. On bad days, you can look over your blog/scrapbook/bulging files/photo albums and see that you have, indeed, been doing good stuff. Lots of it.
8. Things that don't look at all like "school" can be extraordinarily educational.
9. A lot of people are petrified of homeschooling through high school. I was scared, too. Worried that I could not do it justice. I might not have. (See "Gaps", above.) But we did it. We took it one year at a time. Now my eldest child will be graduated from "homeschooling" to "the real world" after spending the last twelve years in the real world, homeschooling. It's possible. It's fun. It makes for a great family relationship.
10. There will be times of teetering standards. Days of doubt. There will be angst and worry. Keep going. Unless you live in a Soma-saturated Brave New World, you will have bad days. That's not a bad thing. That's called life.
11. There will be changes in your homeschooling ideas and philosophies. But don't worry about that. Think of yourself as the Shark of Homeschooling: you have to keep moving or you die.
12. Couldn't colleges could save a lot of money and lower their tuition if they'd stop sending us all those glossy promotional materials?
Friday, February 10, 2012
Poetry Friday: Mark Strand
Try to remember the kind of September ...
The Old Age of Nostalgia
by Mark Strand
Those hours given over to basking in the glow of an imagined
future, of being carried away in streams of promise by a love or
a passion so strong that one felt altered forever and convinced
that even the smallest particle of the surrounding world was
charged with purpose of impossible grandeur; ah, yes, and
...
(The whole, lovely poem is here, at The Writer's Almanac.)
Laura Salas has the round up at Writing the World for Kids.
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Lent is Coming! Lent is Coming!
My past Lenten series -- "A Meaningful Lent" -- is here. (I've also moved it up in the sidebar. Just click on the desert and you're there.)
You'll find everything from the Lamb of God calendar for young children to my crown of thorns, to confessing the messes, to thoughts about why we give up the things we do and whether or not we should talk about them.
(Updated to note: Blogger has gobbled up some of my photos and I have no idea why. Please bear with me as I try to recover them ... parts of the post reference adorable, must-see pictures that aren't so adorable when they aren't there and you can't see them ...)
The title of the series comes from then-six-year-old Ramona's protest that she did not plan to give up something trivial (such as talking back to her sisters) but rather she planned to give up something meaningful.
That's what I'm going for, too. Still discerning what "meaningful" means for this year. Jesus usually plops something horrible in front of me (such as the idea of giving up coffee.) Then He exasperates me by teaching me something through my sacrifices.
Who does He think He is? Does He always have to be so right?
You'll find everything from the Lamb of God calendar for young children to my crown of thorns, to confessing the messes, to thoughts about why we give up the things we do and whether or not we should talk about them.
(Updated to note: Blogger has gobbled up some of my photos and I have no idea why. Please bear with me as I try to recover them ... parts of the post reference adorable, must-see pictures that aren't so adorable when they aren't there and you can't see them ...)
The title of the series comes from then-six-year-old Ramona's protest that she did not plan to give up something trivial (such as talking back to her sisters) but rather she planned to give up something meaningful.
That's what I'm going for, too. Still discerning what "meaningful" means for this year. Jesus usually plops something horrible in front of me (such as the idea of giving up coffee.) Then He exasperates me by teaching me something through my sacrifices.
Who does He think He is? Does He always have to be so right?
Techie Nine-Year-Olds
"Hey," I called out to no one and everyone as I checked my email, "who ordered Kitchen Science for Kids on the Kindle? I don't remember us talking about this!"
"It was me!" called Ramona from the living room. "Ordered it by accident. Don't worry. I canceled it. We're getting a refund."
Ummm. Okay.
"It was me!" called Ramona from the living room. "Ordered it by accident. Don't worry. I canceled it. We're getting a refund."
Ummm. Okay.
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Books, People! Free Books!
T.S. Eliot was wrong. April is not the cruelest month. We all know February is horrid. And this year we get another whole day of it. Bleh.
Poor February has so little going for it. Its one redeeming quality might be
But, this month, a couple of bloggers are redeeming February with books.
Books, people! Free books!
Look:
- Daria Sockey, the reigning queen of Liturgy of the Hours bloggers, is giving away a stack of stuff. She's celebrating the one year blogiversary of Coffee and Canticles - The Divine Office in Your Life. You can see the list of books in this post. The first giveaway of February is over, but Daria will be posting another one this week, so stay tuned to her blog for another chance.
- Sarah Reinhard is beating the February doldrums with a post entitled Beat the February Doldrums (aren't I clever to repeat her clever title? We bloggers are so clever ... ) and she's giving away a stack of great stuff, too. Enter Sarah's giveaway by February 21st.
"Free" is clearly what February needs.
Now, ummm ... who's giving away chocolate?
Friday, February 03, 2012
Things I Completely Forgot to Talk About This Week (In Which I Cram Together Poetry Friday, Groundhog Day, Stuff With My Kids and My Anniversary)
1. Atticus and I have now been married for 28 years. Here's a post from 2010 with a little tribute to him. Everything in it is still true (+ two years). Happy anniversary, Atticus!
2. February 2 was Candlemas, a beautiful feast day. (More about it here, too.)
3. February 2 was also Groundhog Day. Here's my Groundhog (the movie) Day Shrinklit. And, since it's Poetry Friday, I will also rerun the shrinklit here, to save you clicking (because clicking can be so taxing.)
Karen's Groundhog Day Shrinklit
Phil: at first, a selfish jerk
Focused on his fun and work
Women were a toy or game
Till every day became the same.
Quite suddenly, no rules apply
Steal some money, tell a lie
Nihilism's worth a spin
until despair comes crashing in
Suicide just didn't take
Surely something is at stake
Could it be that it is worth
Striving for a true rebirth?
Self improvement: worth a try?
Though all past ways it does defy?
Selflessness for its own sake?
Letting go of all that's fake?
Helping, saving, giving, tears
Authentic feelings, first in years
Letting go of all that's old
Lets in truth, releases cold
Something genuine and kind
Allows this man his best to find
Is this conversion? God at work?
Or one colossal cosmic quirk?
4. We had some things to take care of in Omaha this week, so we also hit the zoo:
2. February 2 was Candlemas, a beautiful feast day. (More about it here, too.)
3. February 2 was also Groundhog Day. Here's my Groundhog (the movie) Day Shrinklit. And, since it's Poetry Friday, I will also rerun the shrinklit here, to save you clicking (because clicking can be so taxing.)
Karen's Groundhog Day Shrinklit
Phil: at first, a selfish jerk
Focused on his fun and work
Women were a toy or game
Till every day became the same.
Quite suddenly, no rules apply
Steal some money, tell a lie
Nihilism's worth a spin
until despair comes crashing in
Suicide just didn't take
Surely something is at stake
Could it be that it is worth
Striving for a true rebirth?
Self improvement: worth a try?
Though all past ways it does defy?
Selflessness for its own sake?
Letting go of all that's fake?
Helping, saving, giving, tears
Authentic feelings, first in years
Letting go of all that's old
Lets in truth, releases cold
Something genuine and kind
Allows this man his best to find
Is this conversion? God at work?
Or one colossal cosmic quirk?
4. We had some things to take care of in Omaha this week, so we also hit the zoo:
 |
| Ramona shares a moment with a gorilla. |
5. At an intersection in Omaha, I was stopped, waiting to make a right turn. The "No Right Turn on Red" sign was lit, then it went off, and I made my turn.
"No! Mommy!" said Ramona, "The sign said not to turn!"
"No," Anne-with-an-e gently corrected, "that's only when it's on. The sign wasn't lit anymore, so it's okay to make the turn now."
"Well," insisted Ramona, "it was still emotionally there."
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Poetry Friday roundup is at The Iris Chronicles.
Thursday, February 02, 2012
On the Son Rise Morning Show in a Few Minutes
I'll be on the Son Rise Morning Show in a few minutes -- 7:20 a.m. central time -- to talk about After Miscarriage.
And I have a cold, so forgive my coughing! (Hack, hack ....)
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