This year, our family decided to host an exchange student for the entire school year. We did it once before and had a great experience. In 2012, we hosted a 16-year old German girl named, Charlotte, when our son was 8. This time, we are hosting a 16-year old Turkish boy named, Utku, and our son is 11. We are laughing, learning, and cooking Turkish food once a week. Read more >
Reaching Across the Divide: Memorial Quilt for a New Baby
Laura Plimpton died just over a year ago, and her daughter conceived a few months later. Laura’s son, Chris, contacted me to ask about having a baby quilt made out of his mom’s clothes for his sister’s unborn baby – it seemed like such a lovely gift for a baby who would never be able to meet his grandmother. Read more >
Death:OK Conference
I am pleased to announce that I have been selected as a presenter for a very exciting and unique gathering, happening in just over a week. Death:OK is a one-day conference focusing on a myriad of discussions and approaches to the topic of death and dying. Read more >
Billions of Beautiful Bewildering Barnacles!
Somewhere along the way, barnacles have gotten a bad rap. Maybe from that time you were hopping across the rocks in your bare feet and landed on a particularly sharp bunch of them. Maybe because in its slang form, it refers to an unwanted person who follows you around and is a tenacious clinger-on, much like a barnacle is to a rock. Or perhaps you have internalized Captain Haddock’s ever-famous curse, “Billions of Blue Blistering Barnacles!” from the Tintin comic series. Read more >
ABC Banjo Camp 2015
I am just back from my second year attending the American Banjo Camp up at Fort Flagler State Park in Puget Sound, Washington. What a beautiful spot and a wonderful group of musicians! Read more >