Recently I was watching my daughters play together; the day’s theme was Legos. In the back of my mind, the constant looming thoughts quietly murmured. They were thoughts concerning bills, debt, grocery shopping. It’s like a sore tooth that the tongue can’t help but agitate and it makes the murmurs a little louder. I swatted at the thoughts. The girls were still playing, both kneeling on the floor with their tiny bare feet tucked under their butts. They were building…
One day, a couple years ago, I was standing outside Lydia’s school waiting for her to come out so that we can have our walk Home. An old friend of mine from high school who has a daughter in Lyd’s grade was also there. He looked hurried and tired. He came straight from work and was still wearing his suit and tie. He is a communications director for a large and influential organization. We were talking about careers. “They can…
“Mama? What’s a swear?” I was driving when Regina asked that question, I looked over at Annie and smiled. Annie smiled back, and carefully framed her words before answering, “Well Sweetie. A swear can be a couple of things. It can be a bad word, a grown-up word, a word you should not say. Or it can be a promise. Like swear on a stack of Bibles; or swearing your Love to another.” “Hmm.” This was followed by silence. Annie…
“Are we ready for the camping trip next weekend?” “Are we ready?” I thought. “I’m barely even capable of finding my left shoe.” I looked up at Annie, “Short answer is no.” Annie frowned. “The house is a problem. Half the Living Room is taken over by jams and market materials, the other half is leftover end-of-school year chaos that we haven’t gotten around to addressing. I still have some of my own work crap in the corner….
Love, Abundance, Gratitude, Ann In A Jam, The Book. Annie and I say these things to ourselves and to each other every day. Last week, my phone chimed. Annie, in her usual humor was all over it, “Hey! Who texted you? You can tell me! Could it be…your Lover?” “Heh. Nope. It’s work…again. Another gig. Tuesday. Can I fit it in? Can you take on both of the girls that day?” “Yes I can take them on that day. And…
Back in October of 2017 I learned that my childhood friend, one of my first friends, had brain cancer. I wrote a piece about it. Here it is: http://paterfamiliasdomesticus.com/an-unexpected-visit-from-the-ghosts-of-my-childhood/ This morning I learned that he passed away. In a crisis or an emergency, or emotionally charged situation, I tend to be the calm cool and collected one. I take a step back and start seeing what needs to happen, what I can quietly do. I think it’s a quality that…
I live in a small city called Lodi (pronounced Low-Die! Get it right people!). It’s an old city. It was founded as a village in the Pleasant Valley District. At the time, Wisconsin was still a territory and hadn’t attained Statehood. The city’s founder, Isaac Palmer picked the location because of the water potential provided by Spring Creek. A saw mill and later a grist mill were both powered by Spring Creek. Lodi was literally built around Spring Creek. Our…
A few weeks ago: I put on my watch and looked at the time, “Holy crap! Girls! We gotta go! Grab your boots! Lyd? Zip up your backpack! Wait on that. Is your lunch in there? No? Go grab it Sweetie! It’s go time!” My wife and daughters stared at me with confused looks on their faces. “Hun?” Annie asked, “The girls have maybe another forty minutes before they need to leave for school. Chill out.” I stammered. I looked…
Over the past year I’ve noticed Fred Rogers returning: two documentaries in 2018 and an up & coming movie. Why? On its face, I suppose it’s due to the anniversary of his program’s debut. But I’d like to think there are deeper reasons. These are uniquely nasty times. We have folks making offensive statements, not to compel thought, but simply to hurt. We have Internet trolls who strive only to divide Political opinions have become grounds for ending friendships The…
There is a movie I have been struggling to watch for a while now, 15:17 to Paris. It’s about a trio of young American Servicemen who, despite being off the clock, run straight into danger and subdue an attempted terrorist attack. Unfortunately it is looking like one of those “cursed movies” for me. Cursed in that I do not think I will ever see this movie from beginning to end. Either I fall asleep (not from the movie but rather…