Tend and Keep

  Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin:  I heard about this book and resisted reading it for quite some time because I knew it was about video games, and sometimes books that heavily feature video games make me anxious about our society and my children's future, etc, etc, etc.  But, I'm happy to report, I was wrong to wait on this one.  It's a beautiful story with important themes woven throughout. Dakota: a Spiritual Geography  by Kathleen Norris:  I have enjoyed other books by Kathleen Norris ( Amazing Grace and The Cloister Walk ), and this was a great read as well.  Norris describes living West-River South Dakota using stories and reflections.  I found her writing to be encouraging and beautiful, highlighting the good nature of rural living while not ignoring the hard parts. In Thought, Word, and Seed  by Tiffany Eberle Kriner:  In this book, the author uses the backdrop of moving to and restoring a farm to di...

The week that we moved to the country, it rained 6 inches.  Many times over, we loaded up boxes and furniture in the rain, drove in the rain, made a run for it on the nearly-impassible driveway, then squelched our way through the mud that was our construction-zone yard to deliver items into the house... The house which had no electricity or running water as of yet, and wouldn't for a few more days. The property had been neglected and abandoned for thirty years.  There were weeds higher than our heads, outbuildings leaning precariously, and numerous toilets resting in the grove amongst a menagerie of other junk.  New neighbors stopped by to see what we were up to and advised us to burn it all down and start over.  Maybe, we replied, maybe. The work began.  We planted soft grass so the kids wouldn't be eaten alive by thistles, and then planted it again the next year when it all died.  We set out fruit trees, tilled a garden, put up a fence, straightened one b...

When I was a child in the roaring 90s, people in our working-class small town were starting to (how do I put this mildly?) buy more stuff.  It was becoming normal to have more than two pairs of shoes.  Christmas gifts were on the verge of being a Big Deal.  Some of my friends even went on vacations to Disney World!  The general consensus was that, if you could afford it, there was no problem with accumulating things and experiences.  In fact, you deserved it as a reward for working hard, and, as an added benefit, it helped the economy! Consuming is so easy, so passive, and it has not slowed down since the 90s.  It has become normalized.  We use it as a way to distract, pacify, or put a band-aid on deeper problems.  Kathleen Norris says that "consumerism is fed by a desire to forget our mortality."  Our society tells us that more is better, and also that there exists out there, somewhere, the perfect pair of jeans that will complete your ...

When farm life is overwhelming, the practice of taking photos helps me to notice beauty and fight back against the urge to throw my hands up in defeat.  Here's one of the good ones.

As the daylight hours wane, I have been able to read more in the evenings, which feels so good.  I read a lot of interesting, fun, and thought-provoking books in September. The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo: This book was simply delightful, and I'm so glad it fell into my lap.  (The story heavily features a cantankerous goat, so I didn't need much convincing.)  Themes include family, story, and the nature of love. Both heart-wrenching and heart-warming at times, this one deserves a spot on your shelf. Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen: I've been a fan of Sarah Addison Allen and her distinct brand of magical realism since I happened to pick up one of her books many, many years ago, so I always keep an eye out for new releases.  I enjoyed the characters and the way their lives became interwoven in Other Birds , again bringing out the importance of story, secrets, and imagination. The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer: A book about people who love books is always a ...