Gather 'round…
"Is it possible to practice noticing? I think so. But I also think it requires a suspension of yearning And a pause in the desire to be pouring something out of yourself. Noticing is about letting yourself out into the world, Rather than siphoning the world into yourself in order to transmute it into words.... Continue Reading →
We had ten male cardinals at the feeder yesterday. Six females hanging out in the wings. We don't usually get that many. Not at once. Beautiful! The blue jays were missing yesterday, too, like we were part of some neighborhood bird exchange program. Hmm... We did get another foot (and then some) of snow this... Continue Reading →
We've had another little snow hiatus. The Blizzard Warning begins soon. Scott took advantage of the lull yesterday, and cleared off a few of the vital areas. You know, for the preserving of the structural integrity of the dwelling. The house looks like this after his santa-shenanigans: Probably a good thing for the roof, and... Continue Reading →
The luge track is finding it's groove. And a deep groove it is. There is so much snow out there! We had the most excellent surprise of all our kids coming home this weekend.* Even the Arkansas kid showed up on the doorstep. So now you get to endure the photos of the throwback sledding... Continue Reading →
I was struck with the contrast of experience this week when my buddy, Andrew, from Andrew's View of the Week, posted a bit about how cold he was. He's from Cali, and he and I have... differing intolerances. He cannot abide the weather when it deigns to dip into the 40s. I cannot abide the... Continue Reading →
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich My rating: 5 of 5 stars I think that The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse has been on my to-read shelf for almost a decade. Back in the days when my super-reader-friends were just introducing me to good... Continue Reading →
So... About that thing I whined about for an entire month, and then never even talked about after it happened... Observant readers may have noticed that December's Truth Be Told event wasn't the end of me. Truth be told, I thought it might be. There was a bit of complaining. And whining. Lemme' just look back...... Continue Reading →
Unbelievably, I started feeling a tickle in the back of my throat On The Way Home from my retreat. It wasn’t enough that my windshield wipers revolted and the roads were horrendous and I was all tense like someone who hadn’t driven in a week was cast out into a blizzard—oh, wait—and then I had... Continue Reading →
This is it, folks. The third annual WWF Retreat is coming to an end tomorrow. Sad Face. 😦 To avoid confusion and possible excommunication, I'll just lay things bare: WWF in this version of reality means Writing With Friendsand Writing With Friends only. To commemorate the end of the world as we know it, I'd... Continue Reading →
Tucked happily into the gorgeous hills and woods of northwest Wisconsin, I write about the mysteries and absurdities of this world I love so deeply, and the humor required to make it through in one piece. Welcome to the Nexus!
Nabs, in her favorite spot. In 2010, we took our first trip into the Boundary Waters with kids in tow. Two years prior, we ventured in for our honeymoon, and resolved to somehow figure a way to get all the kids into the wilderness with us. Spoiler Alert: Careful readers will note that the Annual... Continue Reading →
When I lived in Indianapolis, circa 1999, I used to drive by a house that always grabbed my attention, because I was convinced it must be the house John Mellencamp was thinking about when he wrote Pink Houses. The interstate just shaved that tiny little yard into an even tinier little yard with the brute... Continue Reading →
Tales From the Nexus 