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Welcome to Arras Theme!
Arras Theme is a WordPress theme designed for news or review sites with lots of customisable features.
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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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Latest Headlines
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Dragonfly
Posted on June 9, 2011 | 1 CommentRen took this amazing picture at Fort Snelling State Park in Minnesota. She says it’s a male twelve-spotted skimmer and that dragonflies are her favorite part of summer. -
Kids, Bootleggers, and Diviners
Posted on June 8, 2011 | 7 CommentsI read a fair amount of young adult fiction-both as part of my job as a professor of secondary education and as a parent of two girls ages 11 and 14. I just finished reading Moon over Manifest, the 2011 Newbery Award winner, by Claire […] -
Dignified
Posted on June 7, 2011 | 4 CommentsIt's obvious that female writers and male writers are equals and "greatness" is highly subjective so we don't have to say a word, right? I'm not so sure. -
The Memory Keeper
Posted on June 6, 2011 | 8 CommentsThey say 3 moves purges as much stuff as a fire. I’m testing that theory this summer. I moved last summer to what I knew would be temporary housing, grateful to sell my suburban home and trade it for a tiny rental in a unique […] -
Paula’s ride to church in Trenton, Utah
Posted on June 5, 2011 | 34 CommentsI made a visit to my hometown in mid April, so I took some photos of my mom’s ride to church, through our little town of Trenton, Utah, just a couple of miles south of the Idaho border in Cache Valley. Trenton was founded in […] -
Gosford Park
Posted on June 4, 2011 | 5 CommentsAfter recently bingeing on the award-winning and critically acclaimed BBC mini-series Downton Abbey, the drama-comedy Gosford Park caught my eye on my Netflix suggestions menu. It turns out they share the same writer, Julian Fellowes. Directed by Robert Altman, Gosford Park was nominated […] -
On Shoes
Posted on June 4, 2011 | 18 CommentsAccording to their origins, shoes are functional items. They give a degree of protection against the chance of you stepping on something sharp or unfriendly, and may be designed to offer additional grip, warmth and in some cases, speed, compared with the bare foot. But […] -
The Birdnapper
Posted on June 2, 2011 | 6 Comments“He fell out of the nest two stories up yesterday. I think the parents have given up on him,” my friend told my 5 year old daughter after asking if “she wanted a baby bird” as we were leaving his house. My […] -
LDS at the White House this week
Posted on June 2, 2011 | No CommentsTwenty members of the church discuss civic engagement at the White House. Read about it here. -
Teens and Social Media
Posted on June 1, 2011 | 9 CommentsI have a 14-year-old daughter, so I have many opportunities to think about teens, texting, and Facebook. We got her a cell phone between 6th and 7th grade. She had been claiming throughout 6th grade that she was the “only one” at school without a […] -
It’s Not You, It’s Me
Posted on May 31, 2011 | 12 CommentsI loved this recent segment from NPR’s All Songs Considered about the bands that contributors have broken up with over the years and why. From the piece: “Context is everything here, so the three narrowed their picks into four basic categories: bands you swore off […] -
Remember When . . .
Posted on May 30, 2011 | 2 CommentsWhen we are weary and in need of strength We remember them When we are lost and sick at heart We remember them When we have joy we crave to share We remember them When we have decisions that are difficult to make We remember […] -
Living Rapturously
Posted on May 29, 2011 | 5 CommentsA week ago, some of us were waiting with bated breath to find out if Harold Camping had crunched the numbers correctly! Had the world ended during the night? Even though the LDS church uses other phrases instead of the Rapture, a term embraced by […] -
The Grovers’ Ride to Church in Vegas!
Posted on May 29, 2011 | 6 CommentsThis week’s Ride to Church comes to us from Las Vegas! Two notes from Tom: Although Las Vegas has a deserved reputation for hedonism, it is also a very religious community. Las Vegas is among the top American cities for churches per capita. Because […] -
‘We Have Won’: The Spirit of the Marathon
Posted on May 28, 2011 | 16 CommentsIn the year 490 BC, so the story goes, a herald from Athens named Pheidippides, already having run 150 miles over the previous days, ran the 25 mile distance from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens, to announce the victory over the Persian armies. As […] -
Papa, Watch me Fly!
Posted on May 27, 2011 | 5 CommentsOn Sunday nights, we gather all the piles of clean laundry into the living room and fold it while watching a movie. The kids were not amused by my choice last Sunday: “Yentl” (now stream-able on Netflix!). They don’t like to watch “old” movies and […] -
Moneybags
Posted on May 26, 2011 | 2 CommentsMoney Memory #1: A few years ago I found $20 in an old canvas purse. I should note that it was my old purse and I had forgotten about the $20 I placed in the front pocket. Still, I was excited. I emailed my family […] -
Sometimes it pays to be the squeaky wheel
Posted on May 25, 2011 | 15 CommentsMy son Stuart’s end-of-the-year dance recital was last Saturday night. He looked like a million bucks up there on stage and handled himself swimmingly when the dance moms and girls looked askance at him as one of only three boys in the dance studio. […] -
Return and Report: A Visit From the Goon Squad
Posted on May 24, 2011 | 5 CommentsWelcome back to Return and Report, a segment on Stacks where I give brief reports on what I’ve been reading or listening to lately. Today’s edition will feature an amazing book, which was was on my to do list for this year. “Time’s a goon, […] -
By the Cut of Their Hair, Ye Shall Know Them
Posted on May 23, 2011 | 19 CommentsIt’s summer buzz time at our house. The last week of school marks the time that hair standards are drastically relaxed, we’ve got teen and tween girls are picking the colors for their streaks while the little boys choose extreme styles or grow out their […] -
Tina Fey’s Arithmetic Mean Girl
Posted on May 22, 2011 | 6 CommentsDoes anyone remember the ABC After School Specials that ran from 1972–1997? I do. In fact I remember once fantasizing to myself about them: “If only the Saturday Night Live people wrote, acted in and produced these shows they might almost be . . . […] -
The Illusion of Equality
Posted on May 22, 2011 | 21 CommentsToday, a guest post from Helen. I read a review of Rebecca Asher’s book the week it came out in print, and decided to order it straight away. One of the most exciting things was reading a book written right now, talking about things happening […] -
Derall’s Ride to Church in Arizona
Posted on May 22, 2011 | 5 CommentsToday’s Ride to Church comes to us from sunny Arizona. Derall says: “It is 70 degrees as we walk out into the smiling Arizona sun at 7:45AM this May morning. Two thoughts cross my mind. First, I’m glad it is not July because […] -
Love letters to Amy Poehler
Posted on May 21, 2011 | 17 CommentsA few years ago I was crossing Castro street in San Francisco after a yoga class when I was stopped by an enthusiastic man. “Hey! You look exactly like that girl from SNL, what’s her name?,” he asks. “Amy Poehler?” I offer, as if I’ve […] -
30something
Posted on May 20, 2011 | 11 CommentsNo week-long love fest of Tina Fey is complete without a discussion (however incomplete) of her hit-ish show, 30 Rock. I received the first season DVD boxset for Christmas a few years ago. Already a raging fan, I begged my family to watch with me. […] -
You Can Recognize Them by Their Hand-Carved Daggers…
Posted on May 19, 2011 | 36 CommentsI love memoirs. And I love Tina Fey. So I was just salivating as my friends and co-bloggers raved about Bossypants when it came out. Finally, on Mother’s Day, I stuffed myself silly on waffles, settled back in my bed, and […] -
O me, of little Feyth
Posted on May 18, 2011 | 6 CommentsI’m drowning right now. I just finished up the hardest, most wholly unsatisfying and frustrating year of my career. Sure, I should be glad that I work in an air conditioned office (but instead, I’m grousing that I don’t have a window) and that I […] -
Tina Reveals All (and then some) in Bossypants
Posted on May 18, 2011 | No CommentsIf you’re a Tina Fey fangirl, this NPR interview with Tina Fey is definitely worth a listen. -
All Girls Must Be Everything
Posted on May 17, 2011 | 13 CommentsNow if you're not "hot," you are expected to work on it until you are. -
You’ve Gotta Have Feyth
Posted on May 15, 2011 | 11 CommentsIt started last month. We pre-ordered it on Amazon, ventured into the world of audio books so that we could hear the author telling the jokes in her own voice, or scooped it up at the grocery store — uncharacteristically shelling out for a hardback. […] -
Tina’s Rules for Reducing Belly Fat
Posted on May 15, 2011 | 7 CommentsWelcome to our All Tina, All the Time week here at Doves & Serpents. For an explanation of why we’re examining her new book Bossypants from a variety of angles – parenting, friendship, spirituality, humor and so forth – check out Heidi’s explanation. Technically, the […] -
A System
Posted on May 14, 2011 | 7 CommentsIn the 2000 Christopher Nolan film Memento, the central character (Leonard) has a big problem with his memory. After an accident an indeterminable amount of time ago, he is unable to form new memories, and while he feels he has a good recollection of everything […] -
Diary of a Wimpy Mom
Posted on May 13, 2011 | 21 CommentsA promise is a promise, or so my kids said, even if I really didn’t want to take them to see “Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2: Rodrick Rules” the week it opened in theaters. My kids have been reading the Wimpy Kid graphic novels […] -
Angels with Power Tools
Posted on May 12, 2011 | 9 CommentsWhen you hear the words “Compassionate Service” what comes to mind? This is like one of those word association games- just go with your gut feeling. Macaroni and cheese? Sign up sheets? Relief Society Board Meeting? A calling you hated (or […] -
Parental Involvement: The Gold Standard
Posted on May 11, 2011 | 22 CommentsWe hold these truths to be self-evident-that all good parents are involved in their children’s education. They bring food (homemade . . . that goes without saying) to teacher appreciation breakfasts and lunches. They chaperone field trips. They watch very long spelling bees. They sit […] -
SexRead
Posted on May 10, 2011 | 19 CommentsSince I pretty much like tackling any topic through reading, it should be no surprise that I like reading about sex. -
Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
Posted on May 9, 2011 | 6 CommentsAs we approached the wide junction of Avinguda Diagonal and the street on which our hotel was located, I saw the spires of Sagrada Familia for the first time. The four spires that faced us towered among cranes, with words circling up to heaven in […] -
Ride to Church in Avon & Paradise, Utah
Posted on May 8, 2011 | 12 CommentsCome enjoy Carole’s ride to church in Cache Valley, Utah. Carole lives in Avon and the church building is three miles north, in Paradise. -
Going there
Posted on May 8, 2011 | 6 CommentsVirya is a Sanskrit word that is most often used in spiritual circles to refer to the energetic push or effort it takes a person to progress spiritually. This week, I found a curious new definition for the term virya, it was defined […] -
What Dreams May Come
Posted on May 7, 2011 | 8 CommentsThere are two ways into the world of dreams. The first is to walk in consciously, the second is to achieve consciousness during or after it. These two modes suggest two ways of dealing with the unconscious mind: the largest part of our brain, and the seat of all that we do not understand about ourselves. -
The Saviors of Soul Revisited
Posted on May 6, 2011 | 10 CommentsIn 1997, some twenty years after his notoriously iconoclastic conversion to Christianity, when asked what he then believed, Bob Dylan replied: I find the religiosity and philosophy in the music . . .. I believe the songs. A difficult doctrine to understand? He that […] -
Park it!
Posted on May 5, 2011 | 3 CommentsChildren can only write so many letters to full-time missionaries. Or out-of-state family members. They can only color so many pictures destined for the walls of the local hospital. They usually need a great deal of supervision during large-scale service projects, at least in my […] -
“We are the champions” . . . and now? On Osama Bin Laden and Mexico
Posted on May 5, 2011 | 2 CommentsMy friend Jason sent me this link on Monday that discusses the death of Osama Bin Laden from a perspective I haven’t seen anywhere else. This gave me a lot to think about, so I thought I’d share it here. I’m curious to know what […] -
Rainbow
Posted on May 5, 2011 | 3 CommentsKaren Robertson writes: “After a day of wind and rain, we were getting the kids ready for bed when my husband Danny said, “Hey, the sun came out. Let’s go see if there’s a rainbow.” It was the brightest one I’ve ever seen and it […] -
BUTT-erfly T-shirts for Mother’s Day
Posted on May 4, 2011 | 13 CommentsMy first child was born on January 5. The months between her birth and Mother’s Day were, um, let’s just say they were difficult. She cried all day long and into the night. We spent hours pacing the halls with her while she screamed, listening […] -
In the Gut
Posted on May 3, 2011 | 11 Comments"It's not about masculine or feminine. It's about power, and passion, and weirdness" -
“We Did Not Choose This Fight”
Posted on May 2, 2011 | 13 Comments“We did not choose this fight” is uttered from the lips of our leaders as we discuss the war on terrorism, and we heard it again last night. It was a moment that will live on as we ask each other “how did you hear […] -
World Market
Posted on May 1, 2011 | 11 CommentsWhen I need chocolate, and nothing but an enormous brick of Cadbury Dairy Milk or a handful of a Kinder Surprise (those yummy chocolate eggs with little toys inside that my kids love so much) will do, I head to World Market, the big box […] -
Walk to Church in New Orleans
Posted on May 1, 2011 | 8 CommentsIn early April, I had to (got to?) to a conference in New Orleans for work. So on Sunday morning, I threw on my tennis shoes, grabbed my camera, and headed towards St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. As you know if you’ve ever been […] -
Marshmallows, Obedience and You
Posted on April 30, 2011 | 12 CommentsIn the famous Stanford Marshmallow Experiment (1972), Professor Walter Mischel gave four year-old children a marshmallow, and instructed them that if they waited twenty minutes without eating it, they would be given another one. Mischel observed that although some would “cover their eyes with their […] -
Twelfth Lunch
Posted on April 28, 2011 | 3 CommentsNovember 11th, 2010 I gave away the last lunch (somehow, the story of the eleventh lunch was never recorded and has been lost to the mists of time). It had taken me 8 months to distribute them all. I was on the phone chatting […] -
The Joys of Parenthood
Posted on April 27, 2011 | 33 CommentsWhy do we have such a hard time admitting to the realities of parenthood? This morning a dear friend of mine who has just given birth to her second baby posted a question on her Facebook page. She has another child who has just […] -
Get Lost
Posted on April 26, 2011 | 6 CommentsLately, I've been thinking a lot about what we mean when we talk about "losing ourselves in a good book." -
Pausing for a Moment of Silence
Posted on April 25, 2011 | 7 CommentsWhen my children had outgrown their need for a nap, but I had not yet outgrown my need to have them nap, we instituted “quiet time” where they could play quietly by themselves or rest without sleeping. I told myself that they needed this break […] -
Ren’s (former) Ride to the Winter Quarters, Nebraska Temple
Posted on April 24, 2011 | 2 CommentsToday’s Ride to Church post comes from Ren (who now lives in Minnesota): I used to live in Omaha, Nebraska and this is my former ride to the Winter Quarters Temple. I took these photos on a recent visit back. I like Omaha because […] -
Earn This
Posted on April 24, 2011 | 6 CommentsBy Dan A long favorite movie scene of mine comes near the close of “Saving Private Ryan.” Capt. John Miller, the character played by Tom Hanks, lies dying in the street, having just held off a German onslaught on a small French town. He pulls […] -
The Good Book
Posted on April 23, 2011 | 3 CommentsI love getting books in the mail. No seriously: I feel like no one could possibly understand how much I love it. It doesn’t happen often enough, but when we returned home from a recent trip out of town, there was a lovely hardback book […] -
A Spoonful of Sugar
Posted on April 22, 2011 | 7 CommentsOr how the ‘Making of Mary Poppins’ documentary included on the 25th Anniversary DVD restored my hope and sweetened my attitude toward life in general. A few years ago, my daughter received a Mary Poppins Barbie doll for Christmas. It came dressed in that flowing […] -
Emergency: Lunches 9 and 10
Posted on April 21, 2011 | 1 CommentOn a drizzly day last fall, at the familiar corner near the Carter Center where I gave away the very first lunch, lunches #9 and #10 found homes with two homeless men. One was soliciting while the other laid under a tree nearby appearing […] -
Book Worm Love
Posted on April 19, 2011 | 14 CommentsThe books people love and the way they talk about them can be quite revealing about the way they view the world. Or not.