Happy New Year Kerri! It was so refreshing to read your reflections and I honestly don't know how many writers on here keep doing as much as they are. Whatever you share here is always thoughtful and worthwhile, I don't really enjoy the "look at all the wonderful things I accomplished this year" posts. We share an annual newsletter with our friends and family, but we focus on all the comical things that happended to us, write up little hilarious bits about "milk bag politics", mock interviews, and "lessons not learned", thus giving people a laugh rather than having them compare whether their family "measures up". Thanks for your honest and relatable words :)
Thank you, Ruth, for such kind words. Your annual family newsletter sounds like a fun read - I love getting things like that in the mail! It makes me think of the March girls in Little Women.
I hope it didn't come across as though I begrudge others their achievements (nor do I think you were saying that!) - I'm happy for everyone who is getting the book deal and the new porch - whilst simultaneously recognising that this is not my year for it, and that's ok.
I was thinking recently how you are one of those whose words I actually miss when there's a break, so it's nice to have you in the inbox again!
This is an apt description of how life actually goes. Much of my life feels like maintenance in this season, with hard, frustrating, and sad things scattered in there the past couple years. So it's nice to be reminded how normal and uncheck-off-able regular living can be.
Thanks for bringing the big sister energy around here this year. :)
Thank you so much Haley! It's nice to be missed :). And I'm glad this piece resonated, though I'm sorry it's been a hard few years. Not too long ago I was in church praying for people and thought, "I don't know anyone who isn't going through a hard time right now." So I do wonder if there's some spiritual stuff going on beyond just regular life after the fall? I guess we'll only know on the other side. I'm looking forward to getting back to writing more and having more (big sister:)) energy when we're settled!
“The only thing to eat ‘in season’ are cabbages.” That paragraph was so very true, and that sentence hilariously representative of how it can feel to live the montage.
The list of activities which have occupied you this year is actually quite impressive to me, and surely a blessing to all with whom you spend time along the way. Thanks for the new year thoughts!
Enjoyed reading this post. We haven't moved in 20+ years, and just the thought of it makes me shudder, so bravo to you for managing through that! These 2 paragraphs really resonated with me:
"Maybe you’ve been wrestling with hidden things that actually require a lot of your time and effort, but aren’t publicly shareable and definitely aren’t check-off-able: health issues, dysfunctional family members, teenage rebellion, martial tension, friendship breakups, infertility, unwanted singleness (to name just a few of the things I’ve witnessed this year.)"
"It’s those middle, muddled, and usually muddy seasons that leave us feeling dissatisfied. It’s grey and damp but not snowing. It’s too warm for a parka and far too cold to really be spring. The only thing to eat “in season” are cabbages. The tasks remain unchecked, the fire does not beckon."
Thank you for your encouragement, Melisa! The thought of living in one place for 20+ years sounds dreamy :) I'm so glad my words resonated - I think most of us are probably holding a lot of hidden things.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmastide and happy new calendar year!
Your writing has been a joy to come to this year, Kerri. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. I was trying to remember who had written about sneaky ways to get your kids learning, because I recently copied out a poem on the whiteboard in our hallway just for the fun of it and my son (who is learning parts of speech right now) came by and marked up all the nouns, adjectives, and pronouns haha
Thanks for your kind words! At your rec I’ve been listening to EF Benson’s Queen Lucia and having so much fun with it! So thank you for sharing your charism with book recommendations. :)
Oh well done you! It’s such a nail-biting experience… we had something very similar and the last day was a nightmare, but now at least that part is over!
Happy New Year Kerri! It was so refreshing to read your reflections and I honestly don't know how many writers on here keep doing as much as they are. Whatever you share here is always thoughtful and worthwhile, I don't really enjoy the "look at all the wonderful things I accomplished this year" posts. We share an annual newsletter with our friends and family, but we focus on all the comical things that happended to us, write up little hilarious bits about "milk bag politics", mock interviews, and "lessons not learned", thus giving people a laugh rather than having them compare whether their family "measures up". Thanks for your honest and relatable words :)
Thank you, Ruth, for such kind words. Your annual family newsletter sounds like a fun read - I love getting things like that in the mail! It makes me think of the March girls in Little Women.
I hope it didn't come across as though I begrudge others their achievements (nor do I think you were saying that!) - I'm happy for everyone who is getting the book deal and the new porch - whilst simultaneously recognising that this is not my year for it, and that's ok.
I was thinking recently how you are one of those whose words I actually miss when there's a break, so it's nice to have you in the inbox again!
This is an apt description of how life actually goes. Much of my life feels like maintenance in this season, with hard, frustrating, and sad things scattered in there the past couple years. So it's nice to be reminded how normal and uncheck-off-able regular living can be.
Thanks for bringing the big sister energy around here this year. :)
Thank you so much Haley! It's nice to be missed :). And I'm glad this piece resonated, though I'm sorry it's been a hard few years. Not too long ago I was in church praying for people and thought, "I don't know anyone who isn't going through a hard time right now." So I do wonder if there's some spiritual stuff going on beyond just regular life after the fall? I guess we'll only know on the other side. I'm looking forward to getting back to writing more and having more (big sister:)) energy when we're settled!
“The only thing to eat ‘in season’ are cabbages.” That paragraph was so very true, and that sentence hilariously representative of how it can feel to live the montage.
The list of activities which have occupied you this year is actually quite impressive to me, and surely a blessing to all with whom you spend time along the way. Thanks for the new year thoughts!
Thanks, Leah! After writing that, I realized that my new shorthand for explaining these portions of life is going to be “it’s cabbage season” :)
Enjoyed reading this post. We haven't moved in 20+ years, and just the thought of it makes me shudder, so bravo to you for managing through that! These 2 paragraphs really resonated with me:
"Maybe you’ve been wrestling with hidden things that actually require a lot of your time and effort, but aren’t publicly shareable and definitely aren’t check-off-able: health issues, dysfunctional family members, teenage rebellion, martial tension, friendship breakups, infertility, unwanted singleness (to name just a few of the things I’ve witnessed this year.)"
"It’s those middle, muddled, and usually muddy seasons that leave us feeling dissatisfied. It’s grey and damp but not snowing. It’s too warm for a parka and far too cold to really be spring. The only thing to eat “in season” are cabbages. The tasks remain unchecked, the fire does not beckon."
A Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you for your encouragement, Melisa! The thought of living in one place for 20+ years sounds dreamy :) I'm so glad my words resonated - I think most of us are probably holding a lot of hidden things.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmastide and happy new calendar year!
Your writing has been a joy to come to this year, Kerri. Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us. I was trying to remember who had written about sneaky ways to get your kids learning, because I recently copied out a poem on the whiteboard in our hallway just for the fun of it and my son (who is learning parts of speech right now) came by and marked up all the nouns, adjectives, and pronouns haha
Oh that is a great story!
Thanks for your kind words! At your rec I’ve been listening to EF Benson’s Queen Lucia and having so much fun with it! So thank you for sharing your charism with book recommendations. :)
Ah I'm so glad! When I find a good book, I just can't keep it to myself!
Moving houses in the UK is a feat in itself! I'm one week away from keys handover date and the contracts have not yet been finalised...
Oh well done you! It’s such a nail-biting experience… we had something very similar and the last day was a nightmare, but now at least that part is over!