Behind the Puddle
The stories behind the stories, reflections on the patio, the puddle, accessibility, home, writing, and the unexpected ways a small place can change how we experience our lives and the world around us.
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Or Maybe I Am Just Impatient With the Birds
Moments ago I was fairly convinced the season was shifting in a noticeable way. The feeders were lasting longer, the visitors seemed fewer, and the whole puddle felt a little quieter than it had in July and August. The water is lower, the vegetation is creeping farther out, and everything does seem to be settling… Continue reading
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The Season Is Changing
The seasons are definitely changing behind the puddle, although September seems to be announcing itself quietly rather than all at once. The water has pulled back enough that our little lake is beginning to look much more deserving of its nickname, and vegetation that once stopped at the shoreline is now growing well beyond where… Continue reading
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The Things They Do Before I Get There
Most mornings, I walk outside and notice what is waiting for me. The birds at the feeders. The fountain running. Something moving along the edge of the puddle. Evidence that someone has already eaten breakfast beneath the maple tree. What I usually don’t see is everything that happens before I open the door. This morning,… Continue reading
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The Space They Left Behind
For most of the summer, the geese have been one of the most noticeable parts of the puddle. Families moving along the shoreline, littles growing bigger by the week, everyone learning where to eat, where to rest, and where they belonged. Now the littles of 2026 can fly. The families are beginning to explore farther… Continue reading
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We Thought There Was One
One Green Heron who had discovered the Puddle and decided it was worth returning to. I had learned where to look for it, down along the water or tucked into the branches where a small bird can disappear surprisingly well. Then tonight I looked again. There was one standing near the water. And another sitting… Continue reading
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Character Shapes the Path
September 6, 2026 This morning, something small found its way to me at just the right time. A graphic appeared in my Facebook feed about September, character, choices, destiny, and legacy. It would have been easy to scroll past. Instead, I stopped. Maybe because today is September 6. Maybe because it is my birthday. Maybe… Continue reading
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Arriving at 56
Today, at 12:10 in the afternoon, I will officially be fifty-six years old. I was born at Lutheran Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa, on September 6, 1970, which makes me a Virgo by date and, depending on who you ask, apparently explains quite a bit about me. I can certainly recognize some of those traits… Continue reading
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I Thought You Were Mud
I almost missed today’s newest visitor because, quite honestly, I thought it was a little piece of mud sitting on the patio. There was nothing about it that immediately announced itself as alive. It was tiny, still, and almost perfectly matched to the gray pavers beneath it. Then I looked again. That little piece of… Continue reading
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While I Wasn’t Looking
Late last night, that web was not there. We had left the awning out because I wasn’t sleeping well and thought I might want to come back outside for a while. By morning, apparently someone else had decided the patio might be useful too. I am by no means a fan of spiders. I can… Continue reading
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