Month: December 2010

  • Compulsory

    “Compulsory” Responding to the waving arm of a village woman clad in the traditional clothing of shalvar pants and long white head scarf, the dolmus driver pulled over.  As the door to the mini-bus rolled open, the woman leaned inside and asked in Turkish, “Is this the bus to Urgup?” “No,” responded the driver, “This is the Nevsehir bus.  […]

  • Hippy Hollyday

    “Hippy Hollyday“ At the start of December, we made an advent calendar, a way of counting down to the Big Day.  Each of us took a little time to paint, draw, and glue our contributions. Groom’s little cartoon panels were my favorite addition to the calendar, so I asked him to scan them in and […]

  • Unleavened Barn Raising

    “Unleavened Barn Raising” Only five months later can I comprehend the shock that overtook me when we arrived in Turkey. Had we first stopped in Istanbul, the landing might have been softer and felt more gradual in terms of West-to-East, but since we flew straight to Cappadocia (one hour flight from Minneapolis to Chicago; ten […]

  • Saturated

    Every. single. day. I think anew, “I don’t foresee ever getting over this place.” All of these pictures were taken within four minutes’ walk of our house. Just imagine the delights if one were feeling particularly hardy and ventured a five minute expedition.

  • Open Book, Open Wallet

    “Open Book, Open Wallet” At twenty-six, with a newly-minted graduate degree in hand, I got a full-time job teaching writing at a four-year university. My salary was $17,000 per year. It wasn’t for nothing that one of my esteemed college professors characterized the teaching of composition as “working in the armpit of the university.” However, […]

  • Songs of Experience

    “Songs of Experience” The (semi) Romantic poet and artist William Blake is certainly no Mary Oliver to me, but I do enjoy the fact that he could invite someone over to “look at his etchings,” and he’d actually have something to show that visitor upon arrival that was, you know, etched. I also like that […]