I like to talk, a lot, and writing is like talking with the extra advantage of a delete button. So I write. A lot. From very early in my life, filling pages with stories became as much of an every day ritual as waking up or trying to sneak a piece of chocolate.
I roped in my better half, Justin, by writing him poems.
I worked at the world's best small town newspaper for years as senior correspondent and assistant editor. When I left the office to stay home with my three kids, Noah, Max, and Elizabeth, the words in my brain began piling up in heavy-brick fashion. So I came here, to this space where I could write what I know in the form of homeschool days, trying tantrums, and the joy of being in the middle of it all. Of course, my love for the paper came calling, as did freelance opportunities galore, and I now find myself in the constant shift for balance, something you'll find me pondering (okay, with the occasional eek!!!) and tweaking here.
As for the rest of my world?
I have two dogs, Teton and Dakota. They are enormous mutts and often smell very bad, but we love them just the same.
The wind that moves across Lake Michigan also makes the trees behind our house rattle and shake all year. From my kitchen window, we watch the seasons change via an oak tree that often serves as an eagle or hawk perch. The waters of my town are so crisp and clear they steal your breath in the best ways. And my town keeps a Christmas tree lit on Main Street and has a parade for every thing from the Fourth of July to Halloween. This place I call home; I love beyond it beyond reason.
I want to be a dedicated yoga student, but I fall off the mat. A lot. There is also an exercise ball in my room that I'm pretty sure will never. get. used. But I do walk with my children everyday in the woods and fields near our home. And that counts for something.
I'm a hack crafter/knitter/sewer/gardener who sings in the shower and would outlaw shoes in the summertime if it were within my power to do so.
I'm also a forever student, and mothering has become my best teacher, most difficult subject, and the one thing that forever challenges and inspires me. If this blog seems "too good to be true"-- it is. This is a space that I hold sacred-- a space where I choose to see the blessings in my life above all else. And while you will, from time to time, hear me scream GOOD GRAVY SOMEBODY GET ME OUT OF HERE! Most days, I try to shut out the mess, ignore the mistakes, and simply pick out the moments that make me sit back and say "yes. the life I dreamed of is a life like this one. just. like. this. one."
Because really, don't we all need a reminder like that now and then?
(don't believe I have my moments? Feel free to read this post or this one or stop over here or....ahem...I could go on all night).
All that's left to say, I think, is thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for sharing bits of your world with me. Thank you for reminding me that we're all in this together.
In gratitude,
Kate
