I’m taking it as a good sign that when he rotated the tent today—oh yes, pulled up all the stakes and cords and rotated it 180 degrees—the front door is now facing our house. Before this, in the random, because-it-was-there… Continue reading

I can think of a million reasons why setting up a six-man tent in the side yard late on a Sunday afternoon is a bad idea. It’s too complicated. It’s just more stuff to haul out, and he hasn’t finished… Continue reading

She doesn’t want it posted or shared. She doesn’t want it acknowledged, much less celebrated–and she doesn’t want to put on the dress. Instead, on the day of her senior prom, Sophie stays in her room. The night before, she… Continue reading

Easter Sunday 2020 For the first time ever in the history of the Burk Motel, we hold an Easter egg hunt. You would think with five children passing through here over 23 years we would have had one–or many, but… Continue reading

It comes up this time every year–the faithless, sleepy disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane. With friends like these, who needs enemies, right? Run the loyalty theme through scripture like a magnet, and all kinds of other stories clap to… Continue reading

“But his love is from everlasting to everlasting…” Psalm 103:17 In my mind I am riding a train with a weekend bag on the seat next to me and my daughter across. She has a bag, too, more carefully packed… Continue reading

APRIL FOOLS! I awoke to my cell phone alarm going off, with my phone fully encased in a 2-liter bottle of soda on the bedside table. Perfectly intact empty ginger ale bottle, vibrating to “Morning Flower.” It was like waking… Continue reading

“Mom, April Fools is April Fools. I can’t help there’s a worldwide epidemic.”   — William, on why he has to order, among other things, an “Ecoblast Refillable Airhorn” from Amazon when other people are worried about getting toilet paper… Continue reading

Never has the popular term “reaching out” made more sense to me. As a former English teacher and self-appointed grammarian, I notice such things as language and usage. Dorky, but I do. For example, it’s been hard for me to… Continue reading

Learn at Home If only the Corona Virus would move through town as quickly as a mood swing at the Burk house. We’re on voluntary quarantine, with our schools closed until April 12. So far. Day 1: Boy is up… Continue reading