Thinking Big

I know that as a writer, I’m not supposed to obsess about publishing. I’m supposed to put my head down and keep writing, and never to get discouraged when the rejection letters come.

my beautiful, your beautiful: why i love instagram

How wonderful is it to check out the gorgeous gardens someone has built over summer, the magical half eaten milk and Santa cookies of Christmas morning, or the interesting perspectives one can create simply by holding their iPhone under a bridge. This is your beautiful life going by. Welcome to it.

follow the breath

Folding tiny kid clothes? Meditation. Emptying the dishwasher for the fiftieth time this month, putting the groceries away or humming a song on a radio that you don’t even remember turning on? Meditation. Petting a purring cat and having a glorious, momentary lapse? Meditation. I bet Trungpa had big cats.

you are unlimited

Last Friday night, for a minute, i died.

A real domain

Hey FurtherMo fans!

As the blog is officially one and a half years old, I have decided to upgrade to an actual DOMAIN! I know, it’s unheard of. I know you’re all thinking, what’s next for the blog, is she going get to get a cookbook and cook every single thing in it, posting her creations each day? Or will she learn how to knit scarves so she can report?

in pursuit of magic

Two months, when my folks invited us down to Florida for Christmas, Mitchy and I thought – LET’S DO IT. Let’s do DISNEY.

Where being a Teacher meets being a Mom

I teach ESL at a local university. This time of year in our program, the teachers are in a flurry reading, correcting and marking exams. This time of year, we worry for our students. We worry that they won’t beat our English proficiency test, a rigorous four hour examination which has made its way into the lifeblood of our program. It is our entrance exam; it is our exit exam.

the deep breath of parenthood

We are proud of her in countless ways: for her thoughtfulness and her gratitude; her organized creativity, her musical intelligence and her determination steering the way.

For the woman that we know she will become.

Taxi!

I see one coming! hold on tight!
we’ll reach it Leila, be alright!

Noodles swish I drop my lunch
there go the chopsticks off my bunch

here! we’re here, please stop for us!
he’s pulling over, Lei, enough!

the smell of pumpkins, the sound of voices

Fall is a magical time for children and adults, with transforming leaves, cozy sweaters and hot cups of tea outside in the evening. Along the side of the road, the pumpkin patch calls, as do the apple trees, the carrots, and our small (but loyal) plot of potatoes. It is a time of harvest.