Joseph Verbis Lafleur was born in Villa Platte, Louisiana, on January 24, 1912. He was the fourth child born to Agatha Dupre and Valentine Lafleur. When Joe was a young boy, he began telling his mom that he would grow up and be a priest. He was so sure of […]
In a Tilted World
Poison ivy, phone issues, a leaky sink, and tenacious weeds could have ruined my week. Lucky for me—life is bigger than bad moments, and free will is the true test of love. There is an old oak tree that stands on the edge of our property, and every time I […]
Menagerie of Hidden Influences
My synaptic mailbox is full. Sitting in a relatively quiet room—the birds are chirping outside, the downstairs refrigerator is rattling, and the drier is whirling about—I alternate my gaze from myriad unfinished projects to pictures and paintings covering the walls to the well-tended jungle growing just beyond my porch. In […]
If Trees Could Talk
If trees could talk, What would they say? If they could walk, Would they also play? Leaves tremble in silent breeze. Their colors change, as seasons please. Fruit for the plucking. Bees—nectar sucking. Giants with myriad homes, Rest for the weary soul. Hewn down. Unable to escape—fire, flood, disease… Yet […]
Journey On
It amazes me that we humans ever understand each other given our robust ability to mess with syntax, translations, and meaning. Some years back, the kids and I visited my dad in Kansas. My youngest, only about five at the time, was very impressed by something my dad shared with […]
A Bit of Hell on the Way to Heaven
I’ve come to the inescapable conclusion that workrooms must be messy, hamsters have to escape from cages, and household pipes and wires simply can’t work in harmony for any great stretch of time. Springtime means a general house cleaning. It also means the garden gets planted, chicks get hatched, and […]
Innovation—The Art of Modern Homeschooling
I’ve been writing for ten years and homeschooling for twenty years, and with each new year, I discover fresh challenges. But that’s the adventure. To meet challenges head-on. Innovation is at the heart of homeschooling—and writing—so a lot of what I have to say about homeschooling applies to my writing […]
Learning the Craft: An Office!
“Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise, the muscles seize up.” — Jane Yolen Do you write each day? I try to write a […]
Where Life United
Your eyes record a different world than mine, Without my music, books, or time. Declining years loom ahead, Your face lights with futuristic hope instead. Joking, you say, go back to days long past, But no return would I gladly clasp. Childhood bittersweet, Adolescence confusion reaped. Love and marriage replaced […]
Learning the Craft: Those Rejection Letters!
How do you let go? It’s like sending your firstborn to kindergarten. You’ve nurtured and fed your baby for years. You got up early and stayed up late to tend to your baby. You spent so many hours alone in the company of your bairn that you fear letting them […]