Sheep tipping has become a thing here on the farm. Every spring, Gwen the shearer travels to Sap Bush as part of her annual circuit through the northeast. Like her dad before her, she sets up in the barn and invests long days working through the flock, removing their fleeces so that I can have […]
The Wonky Croissant
“Why are you angry?” “I’m not angry.” “You said you were angry.” “Did I say I was angry?” “When you sat down just now. You said you were angry.” Bob and I often refer to the cafe building as The West Fulton Mall. The Honor Store sells groceries and our farm products, the cafe offers […]
Three Lessons on Getting Help
The thru-hiker is interrupting us. There is no other way to put it. Matt, Erin and I are on the hidden patio that overlooks Panther Creek behind the Honor Store at the cafe, enjoying the shade and the cool breeze that rises off the water. We’re reviewing what we know so far about Bob’s diagnosis, […]
Service… or Subservience?
Table one is frowning at my kid. It’s 30 minutes to closing, and the cafe is nearly empty. After a busy day, I finally have a moment to pick my head up from the kitchen and peer through the window to the front of the house, where Ula is setting up two ladies for […]
Magic for Life
I didn’t believe in fairies. Saoirse made me do it. It seemed an instinctive notion on her part. Five-year-olds can’t not believe in fairies. And as she wandered around home, farm and garden chattering with endless questions about them, she managed to chip away at the walls I’d constructed between reality and fantasy until finally, […]
One Day at a Time
If I have to hear “One day at a time,” “One thing at a time,” or “One step at a time,” ONE MORE TIME, I SWEAR IT WILL BE THE LAST TIME!!! We’re sitting in the urologist’s office, one framed print of a vanilla-looking mountain on the wall for inspiration, one 3-d plastic model of […]
The Perfect Diet
“Where are those herbs I brought home from the cafe? I’m trying to find stuff to shove up the chicken butt,” I explain to Bob as he watches me scramble about the kitchen. “There seems to be a lot of that going around today,” he remarks as he takes a long sip of bone broth. […]
Managing Expectations
“Manage expectations!” I shout the words across the server window to Ula as the printer cranks out a ridiculously long list of orders. “Managing expectations!” She calls back calmly, and roller skates away to the table of ten that has just submitted the aforementioned order, which is too big for our tiny kitchen staff of […]
The Art of Conversation
“It’s not the same as you remember,” Saoirse tells me over the call. “Everyone’s either watching a movie, or they’re on their phone. They don’t want to talk.” Saoirse is on her first solo overseas adventure, and she’s on a quest for conversation. She and I are stalwart introverts. I claim I can’t be comfortable […]
Mid-Life Crisis
“How do I know which carousel will have my luggage?” Saoirse asks. “Your flight number will be posted on it,” I explain, “and if you can’t see it right away, you’ll notice people in the crowd from your flight moving toward one. Let the herd carry you.” There’s only a few minutes before we say […]
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