I fully own that I am proud of the way I parented when R and O were young. We had a vibrant and engaging life that stretched us intellectually and socially and kept us really bonded together. I’m glad of that. It made the abject poverty bearable. Once they were both in school it’s a […]
Read MoreIt’s A Small Mormon World
Here’s a fun story: When I was 14 years old Juneau was not yet a stake. As a district we didn’t have our patriarch, and the nearest one would have been in Anchorage. But one day word came through that a woman from Juneau would be traveling with her father who had come to visit. […]
Read More It’s A Small Mormon WorldTo My Students, on their graduation
Congratulations on your graduation! I’m so proud of you. Whatever music looks like for you in the future, I hope you’re able to integrate its lessons into everything else you do. I hope you remember the struggle. Remember how it felt when things didn’t flow. Remember how it felt when you did not love the […]
Read More To My Students, on their graduationIris
A week ago we got a kitten. While we’ve had a lizard for two years getting a cat was a pretty big departure from our pet-less lives. The cat was both a long, drawn out thing and a total impulse. We’ve had a leopard gecko for two years. He’s awesome and easy and we love […]
Read More IrisDeveloping Immunity
Whenever the foot soldiers of my immune system show up to work they send everyone else home. “Go to sleep,” they kindly offer. (What they mean is stay out of our way and let us work.) So while I complete my transition from human to walking 5G tower I’m going to be over here taking […]
Read More Developing ImmunitySubconscious Messaging
Last night I had a dream that I had a complete nervous breakdown and ended up in Hawaii with only the clothes on my back a the kindness of strangers. No phone. Nowhere to stay. No plan. The funny thing is, I didn’t think I’d been all that stressed out lately.
Read More Subconscious MessagingPandemic Guilt
Tell me you have pandemic parenting guilt without telling me you have pandemic parenting guilt. I’ll go first: I play Minecraft.
Read More Pandemic GuiltO Divine Redeemer
Covid has presented me with several silver linings. One that came with a surprise was the discovery that I had never played an Easter solo (always accompanying, usually choirs.) It was a truly special experience to prepare this piece, taking myself through the final days or Christ’s life, and through some of my own dark […]
Read More O Divine RedeemerOn Embodiment
“You’ve got good childbearing hips,” the ladies said to me as I stood there in the shade, a baby on my hip. I think I was 8 years old. I could have been older but I was certainly prepubescent. Who says that to a child? I’m sure she was trying to compliment me on my […]
Read More On EmbodimentSelf
Does anyone else look at their children’s naturally-derived sense of self and wonder what kind of monster can go through life without debilitating anxiety? Just me? Cool. Cool cool cool.
Read More Self