The Autodidact

                                                                   HAPPY THANKSGIVING! We wish you all a quiet, peaceful day as we all pause to give thanks for all the blessings in our lives, be they big or small. We are thankful for good health and a home; for God providing all we need and want; for family and friends; and for Christ. We are enjoying having Jay home for the week and a large amount of snow! We love you all- Jay, Katie, and the kids

A disturbing trend lately, or maybe I am just noticing, is the use of foul language in formal writing. I am starting to see it in the newspaper and in online articles more and more. Just today, I read a very articulate, engaging article written by a recent graduate of a Montessori school. Apparently, formal writing was not stressed enough during his high school career. Early on in his article he resorted to a tasteless word, instead of something more lofty. I mean, there must be hundreds (OK,tens) of words that you could substitute for "stuff!" Kids swear. I get that. They are trying out "new" and "cool" sounding words to add to their vocabulary to see what works for them. They think it makes them look hip and cutting-edge. But all it really does is make them look uneducated and vulgar. I usually stop reading an article after the first or second swear word because I can't concentrate on what the author is really trying to say. I am sidetracked by thei

     I have a long list of things to do today, as usual, but as I rushed down the stairs, the 2 year old stopped me. "Mommy, I want to hold you. Let's sit in the rocket (rocking chair)." I groaned inwardly at this delay, but her sweet face was too much to resist. So we snuggled into the rocking recliner and proceeded to rock.  "Louder, Mommy, louder." She wanted me to rock fast enough so she could hear the squeak of the chair. Curled up tight in my lap, she rested her head on my chest and we whiled away the minutes. Crumbs on the breakfast table and the living room a mess; but who cared? Dishes in the sink and school needing to be started; but what of it?      That chair has about a million miles on it. We bought that chair when we had our first baby, and it has always been the nursing chair when there was a newborn in the house. It's the chair I used to soothe fussy children; I have slept in the chair many a long night with a new baby.  It's still used

     Lately, I have been giving much thought to our prison system in general, and the lives of ex-offenders in particular. I didn't really seek out to gain knowledge about this topic as much as it sought me out. A book entitled "Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline" edited by Sophia Bahena et al kept popping up in articles so I checked it out of the library. I had never heard of such a pipeline and I wanted to know more. Then, a friend recommended I read "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander, a book that deals with our current prison system and the lives of ex-offenders. I'm not going to give a book review or a re-cap, but I do recommend both books, and that they be read together. However, I will say that before I read these two books, I gave little thought to ex-offenders and what their lives are like: shut out of opportunities because of their record, they never really stop repaying their debt to society. Ineligible to vote, unwanted by most employe

Grow Old Let's grow old together, eyes pleading with mine. Let's grow old and not mind the time. Take my hand, come with me; Locked in your heart, throw away the key.  How long the journey would be, none could say. Where will this go? Will we love like we do today? Grow old with me,  hands tugging at mine. Let's cling to each other, and our hearts be twined. Take my name, take my all.  Love I give you freely, for you I have been called. We could not see: Tears, heartaches, joys and mystery that love can be. Growing old, growing grey, hearts full.  Time slips by, not enough days. Let's grow old together, until our time is done. Stay with me, and we will be one. For my husband, who has given me 21 years (and counting) of his life and love.

      It's been pouring rain all day and getting progressively colder and we're all home. It was a busy morning with cleaning and shopping and serious talks with some of the kids. But the day has slowed down. Dinner is in the oven, fresh bread is cooling on the counter. Music on the stereo, the 18 year-old reading by the fire. The other 2 teenagers are playing Monopoly at the kitchen table, while the 10 and 8 year-olds are playing in the basement. Jay is playing Stratego with the 5 and 2 year-olds while he tends to dinner. I'm walking through the house, taking this all in and I had to stop and breathe. Breathe it all in.      This life is hard and easy at the same time; sweet and bitter, rewarding and frustrating. Some days are downright unpleasant and I feel like crying or screaming. I spend a lot of time wondering if I am doing anything worth remembering. Am I doing the righ t thing? How will my life and decisions affect my kids? Too much time spent in self doubt. But t