tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-363530512011-04-21T22:02:54.361-05:00Connecting the dots: metaphoric musings from a mom in her 40's...family, work, education, and other good life stuff.Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.comBlogger271100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-10928922484084890312009-05-01T06:30:00.003-05:002009-05-01T06:30:00.250-05:00

Back when my kids were at the Waldorf School, they took part in an age-old tradition of dancing around the May Pole. When they reached 4th grade, they were given the privledge of doing the more complicated dances. There was always much anticipation when the time arrived. I have fond memories of sunshine-filled spring days in early May, gathering in Congress Park with friends and family, to

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-34824939861654894922009-04-30T14:00:00.002-05:002009-04-30T18:41:34.034-05:00

I've got Aretha Franklin on my mind....FREEDOM! It's spring in the Northeast ( finally!) For me, a lover of the sun, being outside and feeling my skin warm up, this is a big deal. Winter is LONG up here. We've been treated by a rare ( and probably concerning) warm streak in the past week or so. Temps that felt like summer. I must confess, I did not complain! Springtime brings me the feeling of

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-65295523720915219442009-04-07T14:51:00.003-05:002009-04-07T15:06:33.278-05:00

My good neighbor is a thoroughbred horse breeder. I have had the pleasure of getting to know more about these incredible horses over the years. Today I was reminded of what an incredible miracle nature is. One of the mares threw a foal the other night ( the baby was born) and it has severe neurological problems. Now who would have thought about a horse being born this way? The past 48 hours has

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-60180059349027788702009-04-06T13:31:00.003-05:002009-04-06T20:42:13.330-05:00

How did two weeks go by since my last entry?! It's not that I have not been thinking about the blog and all the great things I could write. One came to my mind the other evening, while enjoying the Jr/Sr High School Pops Concert. This was our first time attending this concert, and wow! were we surprised. It was almost two hours of students performing popular songs, and the chance to hear some

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-53925565325986769962009-03-23T15:22:00.003-05:002009-03-23T15:35:07.158-05:00

I'm just coming off of a 10 day visit from my mom. It was really great to have "Yaya" in town, for hours of tea drinking, kitchen table-sitting conversation. She always loves to come here to see the grandchildren, because she says it is so much more revealing to see them on their own turf. When we are at her place, there are inevitably many relatives around, which results in a different snapshot

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-73598391505704293832009-03-11T13:28:00.002-05:002009-04-30T18:43:34.341-05:00

"Our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks." ~ Samuel Johnson Some of my favorite quotes are found on the Celestial Seasons tea boxes! I have a little notebook that holds years worth of quotes I have gathered, from many sources. Once in awhile, I open it up as if it were a treasure chest. It is, to me. The bits and pieces of wisdom shared by others are worth so

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-65752269705730401932009-03-09T13:47:00.003-05:002009-03-09T14:12:09.132-05:00

I came across some old photos the other day. There were two adorable shots of Kristofer and Em when they were about 3 & 5 years old. They had their cute little faces peeking out through the face of a superhero. You know, those wooden, cut-out, standing, picture taking frames...the ones where you put your face in the right spot and when the picture is taken, it's you in the costume of...a super

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-85956159639314710052009-03-05T08:14:00.002-05:002009-03-05T08:25:34.179-05:00

So who doesn't have a list of things that fall under the category of "Home Improvements"? I know mine, and it is not getting any shorter! But for now, many of those things will have to wait. Meanwhile, I came across something yesterday that reminded me of the things I can be doing to improve my life at no cost! Check it out:The Four Agreements ( based on a great book by the same name, authors Don

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-71718943579390970272009-03-04T10:18:00.002-05:002009-03-04T10:30:02.254-05:00

I have been following an interesting blog on the Wall St. Journal site: Laid off and looking. I told my husband last night that it's almost overwhelming to read the comments that are posted. So many people are out of work, and have been looking for replacement jobs for a long time with no success. These times are really holding a mirror up for anyone who is so inclined, to take a good hard look.

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-44783435375066120242009-02-25T13:57:00.002-05:002009-02-25T14:10:47.081-05:00

Yesterday my teenaged son and I had a long chat. I needed to let him know that I was feeling less than confident that he has been upholding his part of the agreement about how often he can use the computer. Heavy sigh. The world of technology meets the world of parents who are still trying to guide their children in a balanced way. Does anyone else out there find the whole techno-world to be

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-91547665833008650282009-02-20T15:02:00.003-05:002009-02-20T15:27:00.376-05:00

I find myself thinking about how special it really is to find a true friend, and to be be able to keep and nurture that relationship over the years and miles when you do not live near each other. My soul-mate friend, Elena, was here to pick up her son after he had been visiting us for a few days. The week started with me driving out to her place with the kids for a few days, then bringing her son

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-75372556447634998532009-02-09T14:31:00.002-05:002009-02-09T14:58:20.037-05:00

Saturday night, we had the pleasure of doing some moonlit cross country skiing and snowshoeing over at Wilton Wildlife Preserve. What a perfect evening! Old friends met us there and we were able to catch up and get some unique nighttime exercise. The other mom & I were snowshoeing along the candlelit trails and wandered upon the topic of adolescence ( we both have a few!). She told me about a

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-68833349911774221672009-02-05T09:00:00.002-05:002009-02-05T09:13:44.859-05:00

Yesterday I was at the home of a mom friend who has little ones, and their toys immediately brought back the memories of my own children as toddlers. An all-time favorite of Kristofer's was the Thomas the Tank Engine train series. My entire extended family became familiar with "thomas and friends". A cute little song stuck in my mind back then, and came ringing clear yesterday as well: Don't

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-87868501085010067312009-01-26T08:44:00.001-05:002009-01-27T17:28:25.938-05:00

A good friend gave me a new book for Christmas: Girl in the Mirror, by Nancy Snyderman and Peg Streep. It's a book that explores the connections between mothers and daughters, as well as shedding light on the ways in which our parenting skills must evolve as our daughters do. I have just begun to dig into the book and am already grateful for the powerful reflections it offers. The title itself

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-60721134979338689702009-01-22T11:57:00.003-05:002009-01-22T12:16:18.154-05:00

I was glued to the television on Inauguration Day, like so many other Americans. Without going into depth about my political opinions, I can say that as a parent, a woman, an American citizen and a person who has always been invested in community and bringing people together...this day brought me a sense of hope and joy. Watching the many who have sacrificed to move us to this point, was almost

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-493489833542093912009-01-19T14:07:00.004-05:002009-01-19T14:25:06.379-05:00

Do you ever have those days when you realize "I'm not in control as much as I thought I was?!"Had one of those days on Friday...I was driving the kids home from school, everyone feeling pretty good about it being a long weekend, and suddenly, the relaxed feeling evaporated. My car stopped. Dead in its tracks. This can't be good, I thought. Guess what I spent the weekend doing? Car shopping. So

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-48324636789891596682009-01-16T12:04:00.003-05:002009-01-16T12:14:19.142-05:00

Have you ever considered how so many beautiful things in life are also painful? This morning, with the temperatures barely hitting 10 below zero, I drove my kids to school. We are fortunate to have a "countryside commute" which offers me a daily dose of natural beauty. The mountains of Vermont off in the distance, the valleys, the farms...a definite departure from the rest of the driving I do.

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-86949672433682289922009-01-13T07:41:00.002-05:002009-01-13T07:53:18.800-05:00

Have you ever seen the TV show "Deal or No Deal"? My daughter has tuned in a few times and we are often captivated by the contestant's anxiety and excitement as they try to pick the winning suitcase ( with the million dollars inside). The pressure mounts: Deal or No Deal? the host pushes...and the contestant has to decide whether to take the money and run, or risk it all and "go for it". It

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-38706100976406550962009-01-12T15:34:00.002-05:002009-01-12T15:43:48.258-05:00

How many of us procrastinate when it comes to taking down the tree? It's nowhere near as much fun as decorating it! This year, however, I found myself enjoying the tedious task of putting each of the ornaments into their special boxes and spots. How could that be, you ask? Perhaps it's a sign of "the mother of teens" : savouring any moments that allow us to step back in time quietly and reconnect

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-65175829569465020962009-01-08T11:35:00.002-05:002009-01-08T11:39:37.764-05:00

Okay, so who said being able to make time to write every day would be easy? Clearly, if you look at the date of my last blog posting, you may notice that I have been a bit inconsistent. A bit? Well, okay, totally lame! But here I am, back in the saddle and ready to write about life as a mom, wife, business owner, student of life... attempting to make sense of it all. And talk about timing! Since

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-70857933307578948752006-12-10T22:09:00.000-05:002008-11-13T00:29:38.127-05:00

We've all heard that one..."be, all that you can be..." But have we really listened hard to what that old ad jingle is saying?(no, I am not referring to the army here!) That little tune got stuck in my head the other day. It would not budge. Hmm...could it be a coincidence that I was, at the very same time, struggling with feeling stuck at work? Funny how that can happen. Something in our

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-1163562703003533542006-11-14T22:25:00.000-05:002006-11-14T22:51:43.056-05:00

"The stillness that pervades the wilderness flowed gently around me"This lovely quote comes from a book we own about hiking the Appalachian Trail, entitled "Sojourn in the Wilderness" by Kenneth Wadness. It came to mind tonight after I had said goodnight to my 13 year old son. What any mother of a 13 year old will tell you is "there is no gentle or still quality about adolescence!". Instead,

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-1162957376735677942006-11-07T22:08:00.000-05:002006-11-08T07:18:43.963-05:00

Who out there remembers that old childhood hand game - Rock, Paper, Scissors, Shoot? It was a famously relied-upon method of solving all sorts of problems...helping us through difficult childhood logjams like who goes first. Is it coming back to you now? Hands behind the back, one two three, put out your fingers in one of the assorted designs as an indicator of your choice. Sometimes you would

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-1162825128885072092006-11-06T09:28:00.000-05:002006-11-06T14:55:51.766-05:00

Yesterday my daughter, Em, and I spent a few wonderful hours with some of our friends. A group of us had decided to take on a knitting project called "Caps to the Capitol". We will be knitting infant caps for babies in underdeveloped countries as part of a larger "Save the Children" campaign.So picture this...four 11 year old girls, all pretty adept at knitting. Add in three moms with varying

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-1161696764724236732006-10-24T08:11:00.000-05:002006-11-04T15:34:35.136-05:00

Last night I was driving home from a school meeting and I had this feeling that I sometimes experience as a parent. I find myself stopped dead in my tracks, very aware that I am, in fact, only one piece in the big puzzle of their lives! In my children's school, they actually have regular parent evenings where you can be part of a discussion about how things are going and the usual parent-teacher

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-1161565253691883262006-10-22T19:51:00.000-05:002006-11-04T15:34:55.063-05:00

"We don't see things as they are. We see them as we are." (Anais Nin, French-born American writer).Last night I was enjoying the rare luxury of having my husband and children fix dinner for me. They were in the kitchen making homemade pizza and I was sitting in the family room relaxing near the crackling fire. Pure bliss! I looked up and noticed that I had a perfect view into the kitchen where

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36353051.post-1161369857908799752006-10-20T13:38:00.000-05:002006-11-04T15:35:06.636-05:00

Do you remember those "Connect the Dots" books we used to have as kids? Find the number 1, then connect that to number 2, and so on and so on. It all seemed so tidy. When you had done the obligatory searching, you were left with a recognizable design. Don't you wish it really worked that way? My life as a mom of two children entering adolescence has me contemplating how simple it would be if only

Mary Pieperhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17856741167017554263noreply@blogger.com0