The First Fall Friday

/ Katie / 10 Comments

How will you be spending it?

Here in my little corner of Virginia, it rained yesterday for the first official day of fall, and I spent most of it inside, reading. Today, I’m volunteering with a fifth-grade book club. We’ll be discussing Because of Winn-Dixie, which is one of the sweetest and most adorable books I’ve ever read. And after that, who knows? Perhaps Graham and I will get out and about and run some errands, or maybe I’ll sit and write. I do have a short story to post by the end of the month, after all. 😉

Whatever you do with this first autumn Friday, I hope it’s something worth doing, and that it makes you happy.

Found Friday #43: Spider Season

/ Katie / 8 Comments

I used to be afraid of spiders, but now, living in the country, I look at them as friends. Well, mostly. I certainly wouldn’t want to meet the wrong spider at an inopportune moment, and some relationships work best with a little distance. But I find the ones that set up shop around our property to be largely unintrusive, and interesting, and honestly, sort of beautiful. And it helps that their webs keep the other bugs and pests away.

Now that we’re coming into fall, I’ve seen several.

Mostly writing spiders, which as a writer myself, I can’t help but feel a certain kinship with.

That’s strange, isn’t it? But we women have stories in us, and deep down, I think we’re all weavers and makers.

And I figure, outside in the fields and trees and such, I’m really in their territory, not the other way around. So, as long as they keep to themselves, I’ll do the same.

A Time for Ghosts (A Poem)

/ Katie / 13 Comments

Autumn is a time for ghosts.
When the days turn,
when the world comes to rest,
there’s space and time
for those who’ve
stayed behind.
In the changing of the leaves
and the chilling in the air,
the smoky breeze
and the golden sky,
they join us,
just there.
As close as a breath,
and far as they’ve always been,
as fall to winter and winter to spring,
they wait for us in that place
between.

Writer’s Block (A Poem)

/ Katie / 11 Comments

Inspiration…
lacking.
And slacking on the list.
Hours turn to evenings with
nothing to show.
I know, I know –
I can do better than this.
(One breath,
one step,
one task
at a time.)
Just choose the words
and make them rhyme.
Take a moment
and let it grow,
let it live
and sing.
Just make something.
(Anything.
Yes, you can.)

Sunday Supper #10: Thank you!

/ Katie / 4 Comments

My sweet, wonderful friends and followers:

Thank you so much for your kind words, for your outpouring of love, and for sharing your stories. They have been a source of strength and healing, and knowing that you’re thinking of us has helped us more than I can say.

We’re doing better, feeling better – though some days are better than others – and focusing on loving each other and moving forward the best that we can. No one can say what the future holds, but whatever that is, we know that we’ll be in it together, and we know that we are loved, supported, and surrounded by kindness.

Gratitude isn’t a strong enough word.

Just thank you. Thank you, thank you. Graham and I are everlastingly, infinitely grateful for all of you.