by kyle | Apr 17, 2016 | Fiction
Jessica approached the house as if she were in a dream. Despite the worn, faded version of what it had been twenty years earlier, she recognized it easily. The pert, but tired dormer windows still jutted over the sloping front roof, which hung lengthwise along the front porch. The porch in particular unleashed a tide of memories, even though the swing where she’s spent so many hours with her grandpa was no longer there. Her eyes lifted to find rusty hooks that had once held it up, still wedged into the planks. It was as though these old hooks wanted to tell stories of all the occupants of the wooden-slatted swing.
Leaping to her thoughts was the day when her father told her about his new job. She’d been confused, she recalled, upon hearing the news. Was it good news or bad? She hadn’t been sure, but knew her life was about to change.
Her father’s strong but soothing voice had rung in her ears, “Honey, you’ll be able to make new friends in the new city. You’ll see, it will be a great thing for our family.” He had sounded so sure, but had insisted too strongly.
by kyle | Apr 12, 2016 | Journey
I lived in France for a long time. Paris was my favorite place to live ever, my second backyard, my second home. I moved back to the U.S. 2 ½ years ago and have slowly been settling into a new business teaching French and writing. I haven’t been back to France for a visit, but wanted to go this year. I wanted to see friends, and had some research I wanted to do for books. I started planning many months ago. Okay, I wasn’t financially solid enough, but thought I might be, by the time the trip...
by kyle | Feb 16, 2016 | Inspiration
I learn a lot of life lessons from my hobby, pottery. Sometimes I go to the studio and just want to express myself in a creative outlet. By thrusting my hands into the clay, I touch a substance that can express me, but isn’t me. Who knows what I’ll end up with?
Actually, it’s better to have a small notion of what I’m aiming for before I begin. Adventure and the unknown are good for certain things, but flying by the seat of your pants doesn’t usually improve your results.
When I sit down at the wheel with a round ball of clay that I’ve carefully patted into shape, I first get out the air bubbles and center the mound. Then I start making something. However, I have to at least know if I’m making something bowl-shaped or cylindrical, since that will determine how I begin. What I end up with will be far different from what I intend, if I don’t decide beforehand.
by kyle | Nov 25, 2015 | Inspiration
Hoping your turkey-eating, family-seeing, time-enjoying holidays are wonderful! No matter what’s happening a daily thankfulness habit is as good for your day as a session at the gym or a handful of vitamins. Or better. But at this time of year, I stop and look back, then look forward, filled with the certainty that all is well, and will be. God is good.
by kyle | Nov 6, 2015 | Encouragement, Journey
At times it’s uncomfortable being a beginner. I look at my Italian book and I don’t know how to say anything useful, other than “the dishes are in the kitchen”. Um…where else would they be?
Same thing happens in the pottery studio. I look at the pieces of art made by professionals who use the same studio, and it makes me feel pretty small. I wonder, just how LONG will it take to make something that doesn’t look like an artifact from Pompeii? (post-volcanic eruption, I mean…)
And I won’t get started about fiction-writing. There, the learning curve is so far out, you can’t see the end.
