One Cobble at a Time

The World is Big

Sometimes I am so focused on the happenings inside the walls of my house, the hearts of my people, that I forget how big the world is. It is big and wondrous. Skies like these can absorb any stress I care to throw at them. Of course, under skies like these and with such views [...]

Antelope Island Again

A week ago today I ran away to Antelope Island. When I got home I Gleek was very sad that I went without her. We talked it over and decided to have a special outing today. Unfortunately for us, the fog rolled in last night and it lingered this morning. This was the view for [...]

Running Away to Antelope Island

This afternoon I dropped all my responsibilities to go walk in knee-deep snow on Antelope Island. I have a good life full of good things, but sometimes I can’t see them as good until I run away from them for a little while. So my friend and I went to a place where the snow [...]

Stories of Today

There have been many impressive photographs today, scenes from Manhattan, Brooklyn, New Jersey. I’ve never been to any of these places, so I view the photos abstractly, without any personal grief attached. Before the storm I never walked that crumpled boardwalk, I never shopped in the below ground shops that now resemble a salty swimming [...]

The Final Day of Writers Retreat

As writing goes, this was not my most productive day of the retreat. In part my brain is tired. It is not used to having so much time allotted to writing, thinking about writing, reading research for writing, and talking about writing. It just fizzled a bit. Also a very large portion of my brain [...]

Bits of Stories all Around

One of the reasons I like walking in the woods is because I see things that beg to be made into stories. This little clearing was completely covered by this round leafed plant. My brain wanted to explain that the ground was somehow sacred and that I must tread lightly. These mossy holes in the [...]

Walking the Woods

Behind the house there is a table and chairs for eating. We’ve been taking our lunches out there to sit. This is what I see from my preferred seat. The forest beckons me, and several times a day I go wandering through it. I can label it research if I want. I’m sure that many [...]

Woodthrush Woods

Mary Robinette’s parent’s house has a name: Woodthrush Woods. I love the idea of naming a house. It gives the place an identity separate from a container inside which people live. It is obvious that this particular house has been beloved for multiple generations. People care for their houses differently when they expect their grandchildren [...]

Things of Today

Wake up earlier than I wanted to fix breakfast. Birthday boy requested waffles. Drop Kiki off to take the ACT test. Harvest two giant batches of grapes. Realize that there are just as many left on the vines. Put first set of grapes into sink full of water to find all the hiding bugs. Mow [...]

Cabbage Farming is More Adventurous Than Intended

(Warning: this adventure contains hornets, a moment of panic, but no serious injuries. If I ever have serious injuries to report, I’ll not begin that story by talking about cabbage.) Near the end of third grade, local kids are each given a cabbage sprout and a challenge to grow it over the summer. In theory [...]