Last weekend in an art workshop, I had a front-row seat watching the activities of a bonified helicopter parent. On jet fuel. If you’ve read this newsletter for any time at all you know that my childrearing style is closer to boot camp than a luxury spa, but I am always fascinated to watch the [read more] …
parenting skills
Letting Go
As a young mother, I often wished I could see into the future. It would have been so much easier to know ahead of time who my children would become, what path I should encourage them to take, what things would go bad. I longed for someone with experience show me a clear route to [read more] …
Little Heroes
To mark our 35th anniversary on July 4th, my husband and I journeyed to Durango, CO to experience the narrow-gauge railroad that loops to Silverton. After that, we did what we normally do in a new place: we followed our noses, our way of saying that we follow any interesting road or conversation to wherever [read more] …
Wild West Parenting
Even though I live on the plains surrounded by folks who own horses, rarely do I get to see cowboys in action. Thus, I was delighted today to look out my front door and witness a sight right out of the old west – four cowboys streaking across the pasture in pursuit of a large [read more] …
DIY Parenting
For the last three weeks, my washer and drier have lived in my dining room. It is the next installment in the saga of This Old House. In the farming communities in our part of the world, it is common knowledge that guests park out back on the drive, somewhere between the grain bins and [read more] …