Perseverance
The Speed of Change
I was reading an article the other day on the Catholic Synod that started earlier this month. If you aren’t familiar, this “Synod on Synodality” convened bishops from all around the world to pray for God’s direction for the Catholic Church. Through a series of meetings, this global gathering will culminate in a document of…
How to Handle a Hatchet (AKA, How to be Scared and Unafraid)
If you stumbled across this blog while looking for information on how to handle a hatchet, I recommend this YouTube video I discovered the other day. That video might get you closer to what you’re actually looking for. But while you’re here, you might be curious what kind of rambling connection I’m going to make…
So You Think You’re Tough?
I like to think I’m tough. Here’s how I know I’m not. The other day I was re-reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Farmer Boy. I love reading about these hardy pioneers. I mostly love to read about them while sipping tea in my fuzzy slippers. Now these folks were tough. Back then, it got so cold…
Percussive Boom
Add this to the list of weird things that have happened to me. I was running my dog outside before a work-from-home meeting (that part is not unusual), when my shoes crunched across something unexpected in the driveway. Glass. Thick brown shards of it extending from my puppy’s poo pail across the width of my…
I Need You to be Okay Without Me
This post is about my dog. And about so much more than my dog. It’s also about me, and possibly you, too. You see, when the pandemic hit, I was one of the lucky ones. Through a series of fortunate arrangements, I have been working remotely for the past two years. My dog loves this…
Heading for Takeout
There’s a saying in my family: When Janet heads to the kitchen (that’s me), then everyone else heads for takeout. I’m fully convinced I could headline on the “Worst Cooks in America” if I could just survive in the kitchen long enough to submit an audition tape. Some of my culinary mishaps are the stuff…
It’s Time
The new year is a good time to think about new beginnings, but it certainly isn’t the only time. Into creation God has built cycles, seasons, and even mandates that prompt us to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and start all over again. And again. From the beginning, God established a 7-day cycle of…
For Want of a Spreadsheet
It was a Friday evening and I was staring between two spreadsheets. It was like one of those children’s picture challenges where you’re supposed to find what’s different, only in this case the spreadsheets were supposed to match. Trying to find the difference was anything but fun. “Is this really all I have to show…
Crazed. Or Not. Finding Balance in the Midst of Extremes.
There is a good kind of stress. If you’ve always thought of stress as a four letter word in the plural, then this may come as a surprise. But it’s true. It’s even reasonable, once I stopped to consider it. An environment with absolutely no stress is an environment void of stimulation or purpose. As…
Shoveling Rain
The storm started as rain. Cold and pelting. Then sluicing. Then softer. The quality of the sound changed, the texture of the rain changed, and I knew it was time for action. By the time I bundled into winter gear and opened the door, giant white flakes were soaking into the wetness. Slush coated every…
Search the Blog
Categories
Join the email list to receive the latest post and occasional exclusives
Meet Janet!
Janet Beagle, PhD is the founder of The Mustard Patch. She divides her time between the Midwest and New England, and if she’s not writing, she’s probably out hiking with her 2-and 4-footed friends.