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Recent Posts
- Psaltery & Lyre’s New Site
- 123 Psaltery & Lyre: “Agricola Dreams of Flying” by J. Rose Lara
- 122 Psaltery & Lyre: “Communion: a love poem (a villanelle)” by Rachel Bollinger
- Book Review: Philip Metres’s Sand Opera
- 121 Psaltery & Lyre: Rachael Matthews, “Horsehead Nebula”
- Book Review: Monica Ong’s Silent Anatomies
- 120 Psaltery & Lyre: Rachael Matthews, “Return, pt. III” and “Gaia”
- Book Review: Claudia Rankine’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely
- Book Review: Matthea Harvey, If the Tabloids Are True What Are You?
- Book Review: LoterÃa Cards and Fortune Poems: A Book of Lives
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Tag Cloud
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Knit Together Archive
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525,600 minutes
Posted on June 27, 2012 | 5 CommentsWe’re on a family trip. Notice that I didn’t call it a family “vacation” because that implies rest and relaxation, which this experience does not include. We travel about once a year, but it’s usually in conjunction with my extended family, which dramatically […] -
Sometimes I Feel Like a Nut
Posted on June 20, 2012 | 24 CommentsLast week I read this comment in an online Facebook group: “My daughter’s handout from Young Women’s today: Your greatest role in life is to be wife to your “sweetart” and mom to your “sugar babies.” Along with accompanying candy. I get it! Mormons […] -
I’m not a Runner
Posted on June 13, 2012 | 15 CommentsI recently went to the doctor to discuss my “blood pressure issue” (read = I have high blood pressure). My regular physician recently had a baby, so her husband (with whom she shares a practice) was seeing her patients. We discussed some lifestyle […] -
Letting Live
Posted on June 11, 2012 | 13 CommentsIf there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that my perspective on life is limited. Life itself is complex and multi-faceted, and the more I am able to listen to other people’s stories and lean in to understand a different perspective than my own, the more […] -
On Parental Hope and Heartbreak
Posted on June 6, 2012 | 18 CommentsI’ve read two things recently that bothered me-perhaps especially as the wife of Mr. Cheap Seats. Exhibit A: An article in the Deseret News titled “When children have chosen another way,” which begins with this: “Perhaps the greatest heartbreak I have seen in my […] -
Sunday Morning
Posted on June 4, 2012 | 17 CommentsToday’s guest post was originally published by Marion Jensen on his personal blog: The Open Author. Our gratitude to Marion for letting us share this with our readers and to Jennifer Bunker for allowing me to use the photo. ; This morning I marched […] -
This is Nutters
Posted on May 30, 2012 | 17 Comments[This is me sighing.] I’ve written a few times here about modesty. Some might think I sound like a broken record. There is some truth to that claim. However, in self-defense, I have two daughters (ages 15.5 and 12) and I […] -
A Tradition Not Worth Preserving
Posted on May 23, 2012 | 15 CommentsI’m nearly 20 years removed from the dating scene, so it goes without saying that I do not have my finger on the pulse of the dating world these days. I don’t understand how dating/flirting works now that we have Facebook and texting and […] -
On immodest angels . . .
Posted on May 16, 2012 | 192 CommentsI’m not a fan of censorship. Don’t even get me started on book banning. So when I saw these two pictures side by side, my censorship flag went up! The image on the left is “The Resurrection” (1873) by Carl Heinrich Bloch. […] -
To my Children’s Other-Mothers
Posted on May 13, 2012 | 6 CommentsMother’s Day is not my favorite for a number of reasons. Sometimes I wish that Mother’s Day meant I could hole up in my bedroom in my PJs, a couple good books, and a continuous stream of Diet Dr. Peppers all day long. […] -
Better Safe than Sorry
Posted on May 9, 2012 | 8 CommentsLast week our little town had a kerfuffle (although some would say it was much more than a kerfuffle). Here’s what I’ve been able to piece together. (Please recall that I’m not an investigative journalist.) Thursday night, Kennedy (our oldest, who is 15) […] -
Stuart, Swimming Upstream
Posted on May 2, 2012 | 3 CommentsTwo dumb things happened to Stuart this week. Exhibit A: Stuart and Marin participated in a dance competition in Dallas (3+ hours away). [Brent took the kids because I was out of town for the weekend having a wickedly fun all girls’ weekend. […] -
No Child Left Untested
Posted on April 25, 2012 | 9 CommentsThis is a pretty tired subject, I realize. I’m a professor in a teacher education program, so we talk about No Child Left Behind and its consequences a good bit. But this week is STAAR week here in Texas and my kids-Stuart especially-are […] -
Proof that Society has Jumped the Shark?
Posted on April 18, 2012 | 3 CommentsStealing a line from my high school friend, Jeremy, who posted this video gem on Facebook today, along with this status update: “We’ve officially jumped the shark as a society.” Click here to watch the video (ABC news won’t let me embed it into the […] -
Unforgettable Images
Posted on April 11, 2012 | 21 CommentsMany Mormons (adults included) don’t watch R-rated movies. The oft-cited rationale is that once you see those images (“those images” = depictions of violence or sexuality), you’ll never get them out of your head. They’re seared into your brain forever. I for one […] -
On Being Cut Out of the Program
Posted on April 9, 2012 | 50 CommentsWe had a beautiful Easter weekend that included a blissful day of cousin-ing with two out of my three siblings (we definitely missed our oldest sister and her gang!) and my parents. Everyone got dressed up Sunday morning in new clothes for Easter-new dresses […] -
Mormon Motherhood: Spiritual Buzzkill
Posted on April 4, 2012 | 48 CommentsI’ve been thinking lately about how interesting it is that Mormon church leaders place such high priority on getting married and having children. I mean, if you’re a Mormon girl, you know from a very young age that your primary mission in life is […] -
Reconsider Reading The Book of Mormon to Your Kids
Posted on March 29, 2012 | 13 CommentsToday’s guest post, written by Angela, is based on “Consider Skipping Hunger Games” by James T. Summerhays. ; As a book of scripture, The Book of Mormon poses some important and persuasive theories concerning the effects of wickedness, secrecy, and greed on any civilization and […] -
On Packing (and unpacking) a Life
Posted on March 28, 2012 | 2 CommentsMy family and I just moved from one house to another in the same town, so I know precisely how much stuff we have. At more than one point during the 9-day stretch during which we packed, cleaned, moved, and unpacked, I asked Brent […] -
On turning 12
Posted on March 21, 2012 | 15 CommentsI am fifteen years into this whole parenthood project and I am only sort of embarrassed to admit that I have never once wished to turn back the clock. Or pause it. Or even slow it down. I have been content to […] -
I Missed the Sweet Spot
Posted on March 7, 2012 | 13 CommentsSigh. I’ve been so anxious for my kids to get older, I forgot to enjoy what I’m now realizing was the sweet spot. The sweet spot occurs between the years of 6 and 11, give or take a year or two depending on […] -
The Sacredness of Manhood
Posted on February 29, 2012 | 30 CommentsToday’s guest post comes to us from Angela Felsted, who is a musician, poet, and nature lover. Her work has appeared in issue fifteen of Drown in Your Own Fears, in Chantarelle’s Notebook, and in Vine Leaves Literary Journal. You can find more of her […] -
Why don’t Mormons celebrate Lent?
Posted on February 22, 2012 | 24 CommentsToday is Ash Wednesday. Before I spent eight years in Louisiana, I would not even have known what Ash Wednesday was. I grew up in the Bible belt, so I knew plenty of Baptists, a few Methodists and Presbyterians, perhaps, but not many […] -
Ebony and Ivory: discussing the politics of race with young children
Posted on February 21, 2012 | 8 CommentsIn the post-Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday period and in the midst of Black History Month, my kindergartner has had a lot of questions about race. Not particularly about the children in her class or our friends of different races, but particularly WHY "'most homeless people have dark skin. " -
Defying Gender Stereotypes
Posted on February 15, 2012 | No CommentsThis is one of the coolest things I’ve seen in a long time. I’m thrilled to share this with y’all and hope that some of you participate in the contest. My friend and fellow Huntsville High School graduate, Jeremy Hilton, recently won a contest […] -
Inviting the demons in for tea
Posted on February 9, 2012 | 4 CommentsAs my son and I approached the enclosure at the dog park yesterday, we were excited to see another Samoyed eagerly waiting at the fence. Her owner seemed excited too — Samoyeds seem to know that they are rare breed and thrive playing with each […] -
Are all white people racist?
Posted on February 8, 2012 | 15 CommentsI recently saw this embarrassment of a video on Facebook: http://youtu.be/XGeMy-6hnr0 There are so many things wrong with the video, it’s hard to know where to start. I cringed when I saw the guy dressing up in black face, but I admit that I […] -
Mind the Gap
Posted on February 1, 2012 | 20 CommentsI recently re-read Carol Lynn Pearson’s amazing No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons around Our Gay Loved Ones for the second time because a woman in my very-Mormon book club picked it for us to read. For me, it was at least as inspiring […] -
You Lost Me
Posted on January 25, 2012 | 14 CommentsBy day, I fancy myself a qualitative researcher. That means that people’s stories matter to me-significantly more than their answers to Likert scale questions. I’ll read a qualitative research study from just about any academic discipline-but skip right over the quantitative stuff. […] -
Pura Vida
Posted on January 18, 2012 | 3 CommentsI just spent two weeks in Costa Rica. Technically, it was for work, but it was very un-work-like. I went as a chaperone for a group of 18 female undergrads who were preparing to start their semester of student teaching. The two […] -
Why All Mormon Women Should Wear Pants to Church
Posted on January 12, 2012 | 191 Comments[Photo Credit] This guest post is written by BDBeal. Yes, it’s a post about women’s dress written by a man . . . ; All groups have their idiosyncrasies. Mormons are no different, although there are days when I suspect we have more […] -
And You and Me Are…
Posted on January 11, 2012 | 10 CommentsMy mother made the dolls by hand. She lovingly stuffed their life-sized bodies, making small neat stitches in their elbow and knee joints to make them seem articulated. She chose wigs and painted their small faces on the smooth nylon surface of their skin. Never […] -
Guilty as charged?
Posted on January 4, 2012 | 7 CommentsIf there’s guilt to be had, I seem to want more than my fair share of it. I feel guilty about a lot of things. I feel guilty when my kids are late to school. I feel guilty when I don’t volunteer to bring homemade […] -
Christmas Eve on the Mighty Mississipp’
Posted on December 21, 2011 | 4 CommentsWe spent eight really fun years in Louisiana (2000-2008). It’s a pretty unique place. The people there know how to enjoy life. Every time I turned around, there was a school holiday for something-and an extra spring break for Mardi Gras. Louisianians have the work/play […] -
(Near) Death by Supposed-to’s
Posted on December 14, 2011 | 16 CommentsI am realizing these days that I do a LOT of stuff because I’m supposed to. Mel calls this her “approval whore,” which is a hilariously apt description. I do a lot of things at church that I’m supposed to do. I do even more […] -
Mormon RUMPspringa: When Mormons Go Worldly
Posted on December 12, 2011 | 23 CommentsIn light of the silly controversy that occurred last week at BYU-Idaho wherein a female student was denied access to the testing center for wearing skinny jeans, we thought it would be fun and funny to create a place where we could post pictures of […] -
When Kids Don’t Believe
Posted on December 7, 2011 | 19 CommentsI never had much angst about the whole Santa thing. We did Santa when I was a kid, but not too extravagantly-no cookies by the fireplace or manufactured footprints outside. But there were always a few gifts (usually the exciting one!) from Santa. I think […] -
Happiness Project 2011/12
Posted on November 30, 2011 | 11 CommentsI’ve read a number of challenge books this year. You know what I mean-a new genre seems to have emerged wherein the author decides to do something for a whole year and then write a book about it. Someone publishes it. And then I buy […] -
I am thankful for . . .
Posted on November 23, 2011 | 6 CommentsIn the first couple of days of November, I had the brilliant idea to go to the teacher supply store and get a big piece of bulletin board paper so we could make a Gratitude Wall for the month. (This was before I’d read Mel’s […] -
Pursuing Youth and Beauty: Why You Should Never Stop
Posted on November 16, 2011 | 11 CommentsToday’s guest post comes to us from Bella Swan. A few short years after my husband, Edward, turned me into a vampire, I was asked to come up with a fundraiser and present it in a PTA meeting at Renesmee’s school, where everyone seemed obsessed […] -
Dating 101
Posted on November 9, 2011 | 10 CommentsMy oldest daughter is almost 15. She is not dating yet, but it’s on the not-too-distant horizon. Because Facebook makes teenagers’ lives so visible and public, I feel like I have a window into their world. And I’m not thrilled by much of what […] -
My Life in Animals – A love story
Posted on November 7, 2011 | 5 Comments“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” Anatole France ; The Early Years Cindy — Cindy was our first family cat that I used to toddle after and “tree” on the top of the rocking chair. I learned to […] -
True Confessions
Posted on November 2, 2011 | 36 CommentsIn August, I underwent a 40-hour training to become a CASA and wrote about it here. There were about eight of us in the training from a wide range of backgrounds-younger, older, retired, recently graduated, middle-aged (me!), young professionals, etc. It was a […] -
Bearing One Another’s Burdens
Posted on October 26, 2011 | 16 CommentsAnyone who knows me even the least little bit knows that I’m quite open and honest about my failings as a parent. The list is long. Embarrassingly long. Nothing about parenting has come naturally to me and I have not enjoyed much of it (ouch, […] -
The Santos Family Guide to Complete Family Interestingness
Posted on October 19, 2011 | 11 CommentsToday’s post comes to us from Colin S., who writes: Disclaimer: I am fixing to brag on my kids. It will be tasteful and concise. On December 3, 2004 my fantastically pregnant wife and I checked into one of our fine local hospitals for what […] -
General Conference Word Clouds 2.0
Posted on October 12, 2011 | 11 CommentsThanks to fab commenter geoffsn, we now have four additional word clouds to compare to my original post from this morning. Please forgive the formatting until I can get it fixed . . . Word Cloud One: just the four general sessions (two from […] -
General Conference Word Cloud
Posted on October 12, 2011 | 33 CommentsFor starters, a definition of “General Conference” for our non-Mormon readers. General Conference occurs once in April and once in November–and it’s a series of meetings that occur on Saturday and Sunday in lieu of our regular local church services. The meetings take place […] -
Favorites: Heroic Aspirations, Gay Marriage, and the Mormon Church
Posted on October 9, 2011 | 8 CommentsThis is a guest post I wrote nearly a year ago. . . DHO is still running around arguing that the proper practice of our religion requires us to work to prevent marginalized groups from exercising their basic civil rights. . . -
Favorites: “Aren’t you afraid you’re going to turn him gay?”
Posted on October 5, 2011 | 23 CommentsI’ve really enjoyed sharing snippets of our family’s life in Knit Together this year. So I decided to re-run this post about my Stuart, who is one of the bravest kids I know–despite his fears of fast things, new places, and new people. Update on […] -
The Genetics of Love
Posted on September 28, 2011 | 16 CommentsGuest Post from Whoa-man as part of the The Exponent and Doves and Serpents swap. Hi, I am Whoa-man from Exponent. My husband and I are both PhD students trying to figure out equally-shared parenting with our 18 month old. When I heard about the […] -
The Worth of a Soul
Posted on September 21, 2011 | 11 CommentsI grew up in Huntsville, Texas-the city where death row inmates are ultimately executed. Growing up, lots of people I knew worked for the Texas Department of Corrections, or “TDC” as locals refer to it. People at church often showed up on Sunday in prison […] -
GradeSpeed: Friend or Foe?
Posted on September 14, 2011 | 16 CommentsI think I was a freshman in high school when I got my first C-in Algebra II-on my report card. I was sick about it. I knew I had been struggling, but I guess had foolishly hoped that when all the final grades were […] -
Slipping through God’s Fingers
Posted on September 7, 2011 | 20 CommentsIn August, I underwent a 40-hour training to become a guardian ad litem or a “CASA” (court-appointed special advocate) for children in the foster care system. I was surprised to learn how many kids in our little town have been removed from their parents’ homes […] -
The Windows of Heaven Shut: A Historic Moment Denied By A Publication Called LDS Newsroom Blog
Posted on September 3, 2011 | 32 CommentsThis post comes to Doves & Serpents from Atticus F. McConkie. Joanna Brooks, a respected author and scholar, and faithful member of the Church, in an August 24 article in Religion Dispatches, covered the significant news that Mitch Mayne, a Mormon who happens to be […] -
Knit Together: Back to School Edition
Posted on August 31, 2011 | No CommentsI love back-to-school season. I love it because it means my kids will be back in school and not at home watching too much TV, bickering all day long, and eating us out of house and home. But I also love it because it’s part […] -
Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on your Wrath
Posted on August 24, 2011 | 3 CommentsIs anyone else skeptical when older people who have been married for a long time say that they have never fought with each other? This seems preposterous to me (although I confess that Brent does refer to me as the “Queen of Incredulity” because I […] -
Saving Her Pennies
Posted on August 17, 2011 | 10 CommentsWhen my kids were younger, I naively fantasized about how great it would be once they got out of daycare and into school. We’d suddenly have so much more disposable income because of reduced child care costs! Well, all three of our kids are well […] -
Around the Dinner Table: Do What You Are
Posted on August 10, 2011 | 9 Comments; [This is kind of cheating because it didn’t actually occur around the dinner table. It occurred in our mini-van, but it was dinner table-esque.] We spent 6 hours last weekend driving to and from our niece’s baptism (a beautiful family affair followed by hours […] -
My Little Red Book
Posted on August 3, 2011 | 10 CommentsI recently re-read a book called My Little Red Book-a compilation of first period stories written by women from all over the world. I read it for the first time maybe two years ago and tried to nudge my then 12-year-old daughter to read it. […] -
A Twist on “Pioneer Day”
Posted on July 27, 2011 | 2 CommentsWhen it was announced that gays and lesbians would be allowed to marry in New York beginning on July 24, my first thought–as a lifelong Mormon–was, “Pioneer Day!” While we’ve been talking about pioneers this week on Doves & Serpents, I have loved reading […]