Little Magpie

chasing shiny objects

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To The Moon

The girl is sitting next to me, and we've both taken our favorite (super soft!!) blankets and wrapped ourselves up in them - burrito-style - before carefully inserting ourselves beneath the covers. . It is 3 degrees outside in Arkansas on January 6. My husband reminisces that the last time he recalls such affronting cold was atop Chair 2 at Mission Ridge, before he took his debut run down a threatening ski slope in Wenatchee, Washington some ten or twelve years ago. We search the recesses of our ... View Post

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On Ducks, Bonnets & Gingham Dresses

I  love this framed print reminiscent of Holly Hobbie illustrations (which I, of course, searched to find official history and links - the character debuted in 1967 - and found very little, meaning I'm now curious and likely to rant more about this in the future).  It was a gift from my Mom when Ainsley was born, and it reminds us both of photos of Sophie when she was little and we had backyard ducks.  Here's a little piece about that time in our lives: The Short Tails of Two Ducks. Around ... View Post

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Why I Decided To Tri

This post is ten miles too long. But, sometimes you blog for the rest of the world, and sometimes you blog for yourself. When I first began babbling to friends and family about doing a triathlon *mumblemumble* years ago, most of them ignored me (per usual, since I am known for having a new passion every week) and one or two gamely entertained the idea. My long-suffering husband has both heartily supported me and rolled his eyes at me during past fits and starts. This has been on my life list ... View Post

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Reel to Reel

I beg, and they put me off for weeks but finally acquiesce. Dad digs out the projector and the boxes of slides in one Kodak box after another. Mom has me climb the step stool to reach up into the crevasses of the highest kitchen storage cabinet to fetch the old green monster for making homemade malts. She pops the popcorn on the stovetop into big metal bowls and we each receive a thick kitchen dish towel as a heavy-duty napkin. (No wonder, then, that I nearly swoon when my husband pops ... View Post

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In the Lair of the Naturalist

When our oldest daughter started devouring the Spiderwick Chronicles, we dove in right alongside her. I was particularly riveted by the way Arthur Spiderwick's office was depicted, all rife with leather-bound field journals and specimens and glass cloche domes covering interesting objects. It wasn't the series that kicked off this interest, I'm afraid: it's long-standing. A magazine article years ago (which I'm disappointed I can't seem to locate) introduced me to a New England home with a ... View Post

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Idyll Summer

There is something about this painting, Summer Idyll c. 1889 by Charles Conder, that I love. It may speak to the idea of summer as it should be in my mind, or the hazy colors may simply shout at me. Regardless, I know that I approach most summers as a parent with equal parts enthusiasm and concern I'll waste any precious moment of their limited, carefree summer days. However, thanks to an absolutely fantastic post by one of my favorite authors and writing muses, Kyran Pittman, I'm pleased ... View Post