Jenn – Page 4 – Choosing This Moment

Great Expectations, or, On Having Time

Posted: January 21, 2022 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn 9 Comments

Once upon a time, I had the best of intentions. I was going to revitalize my blog by writing from the road. Freed from our normal daily routine, I was sure I would have so much more time. I would use that time to share charming family photos, sweet anecdotes, and poignant observations while also … Continue reading "Great Expectations, or, On Having Time"

On the Road: Perfect Imperfection

Posted: June 08, 2021 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn 2 Comments

The Mesa Top Loop Road in Mesa Verde National Park is a six-mile driving tour of Ancient Puebloan culture and history. There are some 10-12 stops along the way, each of which provides a window into the lives of the people who once called the mesa their home. Somewhere around stop four or five, a … Continue reading "On the Road: Perfect Imperfection"

On the Road: Whirlwind Photo Tour Edition

Posted: June 04, 2021 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn 10 Comments

We’re two three [I, ahem, started writing this last week … ] and a half weeks into this adventure, and I haven’t posted nearly as often as I had envisioned. To be honest, I haven’t done many of the things I had planned to do. Helping the girls keep a travel journal? Fail. Keeping detailed … Continue reading "On the Road: Whirlwind Photo Tour Edition"

On the Road: At Home in the Middle-of-Nowhere Nevada

Posted: May 18, 2021 Under: This Thing Called Life

By Jenn 2 Comments

The western USA contains vast expanses of land, wide-open valleys dotted with sagebrush and tumbleweeds and basalt. If you aren’t paying attention, if you choose not to look too closely, you might be fooled into thinking the only living creatures are your fellow travelers, zipping past on the long stretches of black asphalt. The desert … Continue reading "On the Road: At Home in the Middle-of-Nowhere Nevada"

Choosing This Moment: On the Road Edition (and an Important Announcement!)

Posted: May 16, 2021 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn 20 Comments

Seven days ago, Jonathan and I did something that either makes us adventurous or crazy or both, depending on how you see things: We loaded our three small children into our not-as-big-as-it-once-seemed SUV, hitched up our 145-square-foot travel trailer, and set off on a six-week cross-country journey. I’m inclined to say we’re adventurous, and fun-loving, … Continue reading "Choosing This Moment: On the Road Edition (and an Important Announcement!)"

Miles’s Guide to a Successful Walk

Posted: February 02, 2021 Under: Family and Parenting

By Jenn 15 Comments

Last night, I typed the final words of a first draft of a novel. It’s scary to tell you this, because I know how terrible it is right now. The writing is bad. The plot is convoluted. It has more clichés than a politician, more contradictions than my two girls’ versions of why they were … Continue reading "Miles’s Guide to a Successful Walk"

We Break Things: In Which I Make Myself a Liar. Perhaps.

Posted: October 30, 2020 Under: Loving God

By Jenn 1 Comment

After quiet time yesterday, Katie found me scribbling in a notebook. With thoughts of the upcoming election rattling around in my head, inspired, somewhat, by responses to my last post, and goaded by an assignment I’d recently given to my students, I was eking out a sonnet. “Mama,” she said as she wedged herself into … Continue reading "We Break Things: In Which I Make Myself a Liar. Perhaps."

On Poetry and Politics

Posted: October 22, 2020 Under: Loving God By Jenn 2 Comments

This fall, I’m teaching Creative Writing to a couple of high school students. During our introductory class on poetry, one of the girls asked me to share some of my poems with them. I told her I didn’t write much poetry. She asked me why not, and my mind stuttered on the question. Why not, … Continue reading "On Poetry and Politics"

What I Lose, What I Gain

Posted: September 22, 2020 Under: This Thing Called Life

By Jenn 1 Comment

This past weekend, Jonathan sent me away. That is, he booked three nights in a secluded cottage in the woods. He ordered meals for me from HelloFresh (which, by the way, is a genius way of feeding yourself in a vacation rental). He took Friday afternoon and all day Monday off, and gave me a … Continue reading "What I Lose, What I Gain"

On Road Construction and Political Conversation and Choosing to Listen

Posted: September 06, 2020 Under: Loving Others

By Jenn No Comments

They’re tearing down trees. I can hear it through the window as I write: the steady drone of heavy equipment, the beep-beep-beep of a truck in reverse, the crashing and grinding of trunks and branches being stacked and chipped. The powers-that-be have decided our scenic rural highway is far too dangerous in its current state, … Continue reading "On Road Construction and Political Conversation and Choosing to Listen"

Choosing This Moment

Finding the beauty in the everyday

Author: Jenn