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Are any of you familiar with the children’s book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst? The story goes that young Alexander, from the moment his feet hit the floor in the morning, has a string of bad luck: he ge…
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I notice dates. I am fascinated that Bettendorf will have a citywide “Zip Code Party” on 5-27-22, the date in this century that numerically reproduces its zip code. Will we even be using zip codes in another 100 years?! “Moon Day” – July 20; JFK’s as…
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A few weeks ago, we had our small Steinway upright piano tuned. It currently sits in our living room and has recently gained the fascination of our 9-month-old. Sometimes one of us will sit and play chords or simple songs while Micah listens contente…
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It’s January 6th, the festival of Epiphany. Around the world, Christians remember the day the wise men were led by a star to find Jesus. For many, this is the day when gifts are exchanged and big family gatherings happen. It’s a kind of capstone of t…
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We have an old tall case clock in our living room. It’s really old, as in two centuries old, and it’s really tall, as in eight feet tall. This weight-driven pendulum clock has two outstanding characteristics. First, its loud chime. Actually, chime i…
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I’ve said it before, and I’ll mention it again in this setting—I’ve never liked the song The 12 Days of Christmas. In my opinion, there’s absolutely nothing redeeming about this song. No matter how many different versions have been created, they’re a…
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I inherited a beautiful metal Advent wreath from my grandparents. Inscribed in colorful block letters around the candles are the words: “a Light shines in the night.” Every night, as our family sits down for dinner, we light a candle for each week of…
Vignette #1: Friends on Facebook may by now be getting tired of seeing a particular post. A former student, now a good friend, recalls a quote of mine from a class about 20 years ago. She posts this every year in early December: “I don’t care what pa…
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In case you’ve never tried the activity, it’s impossible to tickle yourself. Some schizophrenics are the exception here since their identity can blur with others and they may struggle to self-differentiate. But since tickling hinges on surprise, ther…
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“So, are you feeling acclimated/settled/at home now?” For the past three months, most folks have started a conversation with me by asking about my transition to St. Paul and life in Davenport. Often, I answer with some light-hearted joke about going…
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Growing up, our family never traveled at Thanksgiving, but instead stayed in Colorado to spend the day with beloved friends. As it tends to be for holidays, we had our traditions that were necessary to keep. We’d be sure to bring scalloped corn, gree…
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The story of the biblical prophet Jonah and his outsized moments recently gave me the object lesson I needed for a Preschool Chapel reflection. No, I didn’t bring in a whale for the children. Jonah had another outsized moment. It happened when he wa…