Gather 'round…
I love Christmastime. I do. But there are certain aspects of this glorious wintertime holiday that I pay for every year. #1: Shopping. I don't shop. I loathe shopping. I have seven children and one grandson, and someone has to shop for them. Argue with me all you want about the merits or horrors of gift-giving... Continue Reading →
Sherm has come for a visit. With the exception of one hideous experiment in the rescuing of motherless (and untrainable) kittens, we have not had cats in the house since we've been married. I've always had cats. I love cats. Scott is allergic to cats. Sherman is here because my folks are on their way... Continue Reading →
It took conjuring up all my best and greatest obsessive tendencies, bringing to bear the entire Google Photos arsenal, and employing a shameful willingness to ignore my family and all that I love most, but the old blog has gotten a new face. You might not see it so much from here on the individual... Continue Reading →
1 two-year-old $900 van 4 Ottingers (occasionally 5) 8 National Parks 14 States 23 Days 308 Gallons of gas (regular) 6,916 Miles Whew. I’ve yet to meet a good family vacation that was made better by the presence of a laptop. So I left mine at home. Thank God. I did blog. Sort of. I... Continue Reading →
All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater My rating: 5 of 5 stars Can I give it six stars? Eight? I need more stars. A few weeks ago I was driving across the Colorado desert with my 18yo and she suddenly drops into a reminiscent haze in the midst of the red rocks and tumbleweed.... Continue Reading →
It’s day five of my five-day writing retreat, and I am winding down my time here in this Northwoods cottage with some of my writer buds. Two hours and counting, if you should want to keep track. The place we have this year is great. Spacious, warm, clean, and cozy. I don't have a lot... Continue Reading →
I have long been a devotee of J.I. Rodale’s Synonym Finder, the Colossus of the thesaurus world, a reference mutant juiced up on creative steroids. Rodale, known more for his organic living evangelism, was apparently also a lover of words and the palaces that are built on them, and for that we should all be... Continue Reading →
The latest installment of the Ottinger Christmas Letter: Christmas Letter 2017 (Past Years: Christmas Letters from the Nexus of the Universe) Christ is Born! Glorify Him! KJ
Perfect by Rachel Joyce My rating: 2 of 5 stars I loved Harold Fry. I loved Queenie Hennessey even more. Perfect is not Harold and it is not Queenie. This Fourth of July weekend I was asked why I only write positive book reviews. I've said it before, but I'll say it again; I'm not... Continue Reading →
Small Victories: Spotting Improbable Moments of Grace by Anne Lamott My rating: 5 of 5 stars My first Anne Lamott. I know. But it is. I loved most of it. I love her brokenness shining forth unapologetically, unabashed vulnerability, and snarky humor. Thus, Anne Lamott is a hit. But I do have to say that... Continue Reading →
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple My rating: 4 of 5 stars I wish I could go four-and-a-half. But until Goodreads brings in a 100-point rating system, I'll never really be able to drop the stars I'm looking for. (Except maybe My Grandmother Told Me to Tell You She's Sorry. That one would still... Continue Reading →
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy by Rachel Joyce My rating: 5 of 5 stars If it is possible, Queenie's story is even more compelling than Harold's. This is a beautiful book. Harold's story, from The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, is told here from the perspective of the woman he is walking to... Continue Reading →
Tales From the Nexus 