I had to count the years twice. Verification complete, it seems to be true. This is our 10th year schooling at home. It seems only yesterday that we'd drop our oldest off at the village kindergarten for the morning, then spend the afternoons learning our letters in English, reading stories and poetry and looking at…
The Puritans Didn’t Just Eat Turkey
It was a few years ago that we were properly introduced to the Puritans. Before that, I just thought they ate turkey and wore capotains and were a grumpy, adventurous sort. Thank you, American public schools, for granting us the yearly joy of choosing between wearing paper feathers or paper collars and getting to sit…
Therefore it Became a Proverb
This afternoon marks exactly three weeks. It was Saturday, Mother's Day in Mexico and three days before my 34th birthday. They tell me that we went for a ride down the beach on the quad, a typical Saturday evening. Apparently I was taking a video of the sunset, the crashing waves, the pink sand. And…
Crocs and Kids
Somehow my last post was already two months ago. Writing about grief always kind of sucks all my public writing juices for awhile. I say public because I am writing quietly here on the side when I get a chance. One project is basically completed, I am just praying about what to do with it.…
This Paradox
I was never much for fairy tales until more recently. Animals talking? Elves and dwarves? Tree people and all those blurred lines between real and fantastic that made me uncomfortable? But as Lewis says, maybe I am just finally getting old enough to enjoy them. And now, I must confess, one of my very favorite…
A Selfish Request
Hi Friends, Just an extremely brief note today on behalf of your's truly. Last week my gynecologist detected a tumor in my uterus, otherwise known as a myoma. Thankfully these tumors are always benign. It is about the size of a small orange and although it isn't inherently dangerous, is still causing some problems and…
Hello 2025
Happy New Year to all of you! Thanks again for being here with me year after year. As always, my desire is to serve and bless you through these posts and reciprocally your faithfulness and interest is so appreciated and an enormous blessing to myself. Once more I'd like to leave you with the list…
Consolations
I recently posted in my Instagram stories a quote negating the fallacious and cliché statement we have all heard from well-wishers when experiencing trials: God will never give you more than you can handle. It sounds good. It sounds comforting. It soothes the ego. Grants a little leverage against the mighty God of Heaven whose…
Overdue.
I'm on my third cup of tea already. First chai. Then Earl Grey. Now Ceylon Alwazateen. It's just one of those days. Delightfully dreary and slow, painfully sad and full of introspection. The neighbor girl is here, pulling out every toy possible and whipping up a general hurricane. I don't even care. Her mom abandoned…
Courage
Zucchini bread is baking in the oven (only because it rained this morning and it's not 90 degrees inside the house) and chai is steaming out of a china cup. And I'm writing. Perhaps the quintessential afternoon for any quiet homebody. But outside, the world feels so violent and hostile. So virulent, capricious, volatile. More…
penelope alves 