Category Archives: Uncategorized

Sometimes dreams come out of nowhere, so vivid that, at least for me, I can wake up reaching out for something that isn’t there. Or I wake up believing I’m in the place where I was dreaming and then it’s … Continue reading →

I tell my students we’re going to write graph poems. They wander off into their own worlds during this silent writing time. Some are thinking. One twirls her hair, staring at the graph paper on her desk. That kid has … Continue reading →

It was a dark and stormy night (Wait, have you heard this one before?), when suddenly the power went out. She’d been reading a note left on the counter and trying to figure out just who left it there. (Uh … Continue reading →

The skirt was purple. It had a matching purple vest with golden buttons. “You can wear any light-colored shirt with most of these.” Mrs. Miller was folding the skirts and pants and tucking them back into the box. I was … Continue reading →

There are places in the world where our memories of being there are so strong that when we return after some time has passed, we can be overwhelmed by emotions. I’ve led, I don’t know how many, pack trips over … Continue reading →

Buddha’s last words were “Make of Yourself a Light.” Make of yourself a light. There are places here in America that are becoming darker. It is not the beautiful dark of nighttime when the stars shine, or the moon rises, … Continue reading →

I recently read an article about using eight ways to describe a character to make them come to life. According to Jordan at Nownovel.com, those eight ways include: “1. Start with character profiles and pin boards 2. Focus on details … Continue reading →

“I’ll hold the popcorn.” I was sitting in the middle, so it just made sense. Susan and Cathy had their own sodas, and I could reach both, although Susan’s was diet. When the curtain opened, we quietly debated whether we’d … Continue reading →

Soft is a warm bed and thick comforter after a long day, the muzzle on a horse just below and between his nostrils, a place to fall that is protected and maybe sacred, a loose pile of hay, the pre-dawn … Continue reading →

One night, the unspeakable happened. I was visiting my son, Alex, at Hastings College in Nebraska. My brother Mike and his wife Barb and my sister Jana drove out from Omaha to meet us for supper. It was a lovely … Continue reading →