"Best part?" he asks every night at supper. And the kids shout out, especially the happy ones, "Playing with Legos and building a Star Wars/Lord of the Rings/Velociraptor!" "Eating doughnuts for breakfast!" "Being here with you, Dad." That one makes a regular appearance, equal parts delightful and deliberate. But some days the kids are grouchy,... Continue Reading →
A prayer for today.
"I want to see beauty. In the ugly, in the sink, in the suffering, in the daily, in all the days before I die, the moments before I sleep." — Ann Voskamp
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Books and Trees
Aspen trees are practically synonymous with Colorado, but I can't for the life of me get one to grow in my backyard. Stubborn trees, they grow where they will, and they flourish in the scarred and broken places. Try and put one in a nice sunny spot with lots of water and specialty garden soil,... Continue Reading →
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Tell it like it is.
They say pastors need soft hearts and thick skin. Don't we all? So you write a book, you put it out there, ay yay yay! Here come the critics. And you can stick your fingers in your ears and sing it out, "I can't hear you..." or you can take a deep breath, listen attentively,... Continue Reading →
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Anne Lamott on writing…
"This is our goal as writers, I think; to help others have this sense of--please forgive me--wonder, of seeing things anew, things that can catch us off guard, that break in on our small, bordered worlds. When this happens, everything feels more spacious. Try walking around with a child who's going, "Wow, wow! Look at... Continue Reading →
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Souped-up Slush Pile
Here's a quick tutorial on the publishing industry for those of you who've never had a compulsion to stick pins in your pupils. Step One: Pour weeks, months, years into heartbreaking work of staggering genius (thanks, Dave Eggers) Step Two: Submit baby to publisher to be kicked back with rude note -- get an agent!... Continue Reading →
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On books…
“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” ― Groucho Marx
Catherine's Letters 