Beautiful Chaos!

Lesson 7 - Make the Sauce I recently traveled to Puyallup to spend two days with my 13-year-old niece. She is struggling a bit, needed a friend, and wanted me to teach her how to crochet. It was a wonderful time with family. While I was there, I observed components of my sister’s strong marriage. My brother-in-law is Italian, and they like to make pasta sauce from scratch. For years I have heard rave reviews about the sauce, but I hadn’t been to a meal where it had been served. Since I was there, my sister thought it would be nice for me to try Vince’s sauce. She says she knows how to make it, but everyone thinks Vince’s is more authentic. About 3:30 on the day of my arrival, we were headed out to get yarn for my niece. Before we left, my sister set out all the ingredients and equipment needed to make the sauce so that it would be easier for Vince to make when he got home from work. I could tell this was a normal routine for her; she wasn’t bothered by it at all. Microcultur...

Lesson 6 - Mother Eve When my children were younger, I wrote poems on their lunch sacks every school day. They were simple snippets of words that always rhymed. My youngest daughter now doesn’t consider a poem to be a real poem unless the lines rhyme. I do appreciate poetry, but will not typically sit down and read a book of poetry. I have failed to complete a poetry book the few times I have tried to be “cultured” by reading poetry. Lamentation That being said, I recently read a poem that touched me deeply, and it doesn’t rhyme. It was filled with meaningful thought and, as I read, I found tears streaming down my face. This poem, Lamentation by Arta Romney Ballif, is a thoughtfully written poem about Eve’s experiences as a mother and wife. We all know the story of Cain and Abel, but I hadn’t previously considered their experience through the lens of their mother, Eve. This moving poem brought that perspective to me. I have a three-month-old grandson living in my home rig...