Elizabeth Goudge’s “The Little White Horse” and the Power of Children Being Themselves
After reading Elizabeth Goudge’s “The Linnets and Valerians,” we were excited to try her highly recommended children’s book “The Little White Horse.” […]
Is it “puttering” that makes a house a home?
Many a homemaker has despaired of ever living in a place of beauty. There is always something to be cleaned, something to […]
Motherhood “In the Trenches”: Reassessing the Language of War
When a mother describes the daily care of babies and toddlers there’s an expression used to capture the experience: she might say […]
Propagating Success
Someone recently asked if I was actually a plant person or if I just pretended for my blog. An interesting query. Plants […]
Astrid Lindgren’s “Mio, My Son” and the Immersive World of Fairy Tales
Astrid Lindgren, a Swedish author perhaps best known for her zany tales of Pippi Longstocking, offers a wide range of genres in […]
From Shipping Container to Landfill: The Sad Story of Many Christmas Presents
For the curmudgeon in us, there was plenty to kvetch about this Christmas. The mysterious powers that be in the regulation of […]
B.B.’s “The Little Grey Men”: Delight in Nature and in Story
Years ago, I read in a clipping from a magazine that Julie Andrews’ favorite book in childhood was B.B.’s “The Little Grey […]
Sentimentalizing Mothers and Mothers Who Are Not Overly Sentimental
Used book sales are a treasure trove of cast-off volumes, unwanted and unlooked for by most. Gorgeous old tomes sell for a […]
Motherhood, Individuality, and a Life in Full Color
The demands of raising children can lead to a disturbing erasure of visible personality. Exhibit A: an annual trip. The children’s various […]
A Word from Charlie Munger on Luck
This year, as with every rotation around the sun, the world lost many lights. Jimmy Buffett and the other Buffett’s long-time business […]