A view of the house and two shade gardens from the Arendelle Garden on Friday. It's here ... whether we're ready for it or not. No longer just around the corner, it's time to mark the moment for Mom. For some, Mother's Day marks the beginning of planting season for gardeners in colder regions, while… Continue reading For Mothers and Daughters, Here and Gone
Author: Corrie's Mom
They say teacher turn over is high right now, and many teachers will leave the profession in five years or less. I will enter my seventh year as a full-time teacher, and my 12th year in education after I'd started as a sub and teacher assistant. I was the student in the 1990s you did not want in your classroom because I was diagnosed with ADHD and did not know how to socialize with other kids. I was due to be tested for autism, but this was considered an ostracizing experience for a child then, especially a girl. I am a third generation teacher and author of seventeen creative works.
After the Rain: Corrie’s Gardens
Almost four years ... almost four since Corrie earned her wings. For three of those four years, I struggled with the coming of spring. In 2021, 2022, and even last year, I felt the tick of March ... April ... May.
Corrie’s Gardens Talk
As Corrie's fourth angel anniversary approaches this month, I share pictures from the end of April to today. I decided to let Corrie's gardens and flowers speak for themselves.
For the Beauty
"For the Beauty of the Earth" was always a hymn that could calm me. No matter how I felt at church, or if I was coming out of a nap as a young child during service, this song calmed me. It gave my mind an instant image of nature in every geography. I could pictures… Continue reading For the Beauty
A Poem for Grieving Parents: After the Ink Fades
Parents, like me, know all about learning opportunities. We experience them each second, minute, hour, day, night, month and year. Oh, my dear, we know the lessons well. We never ask for them. We never request to join a school of thought, nor wish this club’s type of exclusivity on any other. We experience our lessons in nature when the birds chirp, yet hear no shriek of excitement, or “Mom, how you doing?” We have learning opportunities we never sought, and knowledge we never wished to gain.
In the Middle of Some Road
Mask 1 hides the bereaved mother screaming inside. She asks, “Why am I still alive?” but I tuck her down deep, even put her to sleep, so she will not speak all that is one her mind. "Shhh … little momma, don’t you cry" although your daughter is not alive.
Butterflies in Corrie’s Garden and the Phlox
I try, with time, to become a better photographer. I feel as though I fail in capturing the beauty I witness on the farm, specifically in the morning or at sunset. I hope to share different themes or journeys we make as our growing season of 2024 takes off.
Easter Thoughts on Corrie, Gardens, and Family
Bright Easter theme colors show around Corrie's Butterfly Garden with the Phlox and Dianthus in blossom. Holidays are never straight forward. They mean something different to everyone. In my gut, I know it's the fourth Easter without Corrie. This is a marker, which never goes away. Holidays, for some, are wearing bright colored, checkered shirts… Continue reading Easter Thoughts on Corrie, Gardens, and Family
A Picasso Shade of Blue
Born with a different kind of mind– and not the etch-a-sketch kind with the straight edges and directions to flow–is like sitting on the steps of the shallow end without a clue of how to swim or where to go.
Dear Corrie, You Won the Last Argument: I Garden
I think Corrie would feel proud. She might not say it.
Corrie's Season 