Paralyzed by Vacation

Paralyzed by Vacation

We spend days, no weeks, looking forward to school vacation. Students nearly refuse to work in the days leading up to it. “Miss, can I go watch a movie in Mrs. X’s class?” I look at him. He must be  insane. “Um, no, we’re doing our big...
Getting Angry at God for Easter

Getting Angry at God for Easter

There are moments when a mother looks at her child and thinks, “I messed up here.” The subject of God is one of them. God has always been quite good to me. I grew up in a community where everyone truly lived out the meaning of that word. No person suffered...

Don’t Need to “Get a Sweater”

The wood stove is on. Rural New England’s got “the-leaves-have-turned” chill that sparks my competitive spirit. It’s five degrees colder than urban New England where the collective effects of the sun beating off the black pavement and all the...