Farting Around We were driving home through Virginia post-Thanksgiving, and my husband was talking about his truck's failing transmission. The garage in Virginia said it would cost $6k to replace, and he hoped a local mechanic could do better. My husband spoke of rebuilding the transmission, the hours of labor, and the possibility of a … Continue reading Farting Around
When I Paint My Masterpiece This summer, I watched a masterpiece take shape. A team of carvers created a nine foot tall sand castle in front of the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores, with an octopus, a shark, a school of three dimensional fish, and dry waves crashing around its base. Every day, I … Continue reading When I Paint My Masterpiece
Pollywiggle Pollywog I have a soft spot for amphibians, partly because they're so soft and vulnerable. Ask me my favorite animal, and I'll say "salamander." Unless I'm holding your Jello-boned cat; then he's my favorite. Or watching the blonde squirrel in my yard; then she's my favorite. But all the other times, it's salamanders. They're … Continue reading Pollywiggle pollywog
Hazard Lights Last week, after dropping off my first grader at school, I swung by a local produce stand for fresh strawberries. The U-Pick fields aren’t open yet, but you can buy them by the tray if you get there early enough. I wanted some for my preschooler’s classroom and more for sharing with friends, … Continue reading Hazard Lights
The Joys and Hazards of Pantsing I learned a new word this week, "pantsing." Before I tell you what it means, let me share a horror story. I heard it twenty years ago, during my new-hire teacher orientation (I taught high school science for eleven years). The workshop leader was a veteran math teacher who … Continue reading Pantsing
My Favorite Book Those are big words. Can you really have just one favorite book? Maybe not, but John Crowley’s Little, Big has been my favorite for the longest - since I was about sixteen, and unnaturally intuitive aunt gifted me the novel for Christmas. I decided to read Little, Big again, with attention as … Continue reading My Favorite Book
Here Be Dragons Dragons make everything better. Fairy tales, New Year’s celebrations, yoga. Real dragons, of course, would be a major downer, but dragons aren’t real (are they?) They’re fire-breathing, treasure-hoarding, flying magical creatures of our imagination. They might consume a fair maiden or two, but look what they give in return – great stories. … Continue reading Here Be Dragons
Holocaust Books "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” ~ George R.R. Martin Thanks, Game of Thrones. I can almost hear the TV show's theme song playing in my head right now. The experience of walking in another person's shoes is one of the primary … Continue reading Holocaust Books
If you are of a literary bent... Which I'm not. I mean, I like to read. A lot. An unnatural and unhealthy amount. But literary? No. Nerdy. Bookish. Dorky. Something more like that. Which is why it's no big surprise that I've never read a literary journal. Until now. The feature article in this month's … Continue reading If you are of a literary bent
Jessi Waugh Writer 