Memory   I learned long ago there are 50 words for all the rain that falls in Seattle.   I didn’t know until yesterday there are 56 types of memory.   The human brain they are mapping it. There may be more Than 56 types of memory.   This is why Sean from the third […]

“Things don’t go away. They become you. There is no end, but addition.” -T.S. Elliot What does it mean to have a child with learning disabilities come early September? I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but as I slowly wade into a new school year, this is what it means for me: Your child’s […]

Summer is winding down, both fast and oh so slowly. What will I recall from these eleven weeks? Can I make poetry out of school vacation? The neighbor beats out a rhythm on his drums, a helicopter just stopped flying in place on Phinney Ridge, and a car just drove by and gave two long […]

It seems the world never stops gathering speed; that the winds are always howling outside our doors. Yes, there are lovely breaks. Sun on my back as I pick raspberries while I let the whining girl just be whatever she wants to be while lying nearby me. Being lost within the novel Looking for Alaska […]

It’s weird being on the top of the hill after staring at the summit for so, so long. No, I’m not out in the wilderness writing this post. I’m sitting in my office and I’m pretty much unable to move through the rest of my day until I write about this. This is kindergarten graduation […]

“Remember your deepest name.” –Naomi Shihab Nye From a student of Buddhism I learn about the secret word. His teacher gave him a word in a language he doesn’t know that he uses while meditating. “What is your secret word?” I ask. “I can’t tell you,” he answers. “But what does your word mean? Do […]

Often when I know I need to write about something, I keep saying I’ll do it tomorrow. Tapping out my internal drama for the blog sphere is both cathartic and hard. Who wants to hear about my day that was a 2? How much do I need to really feel my feelings before I can […]

See one six-year-old kindergartner reading a simple picture book. He is proud and happy. He looks up occasionally at the people around him, seeking positive affirmation of this new skill he is soaking up. The adults smile and nod, and he turns back to the page. It’s not all smooth sailing, but he figures out […]

Roughly 17 years ago, I met the boy next door. Truthfully, I first saw him while I was out eating dinner with a friend. He passed by the restaurant window and waved to Mary while giving her a big smile. I asked who he was and noted he had a lovely grin. Chris lived next door […]

As I get closer to finishing the first draft of my manuscript, I’ve been pondering fear. And even though I want to use different words with the same meaning, fear is always fear. If I cloak it in anxiety or terror or panic, it is always fear underneath the simile. Every evening, I can tell […]