Segullah

Mormon women blogging about the peculiar and the treasured

IN PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

As I knocked on the peeling front door, an old fat dog pushed against my knee, wagging his stump of a tail, waiting with me for permission to enter. “Shirley?” I called, “It’s Lisa from Meals on Wheels. Can I come in?” A querulous voice responded, “Yes, yes, come in.” I pushed open the door, [...]

Justice and Mercy Walk into a Bar

Justice and Mercy walk into a bar. Justice overhears a customer order “another Shirley Temple, please.” Barkeep reminds the customer that he hasn’t paid for his last two yet. Justice grabs the customer by the collar, yells, “You can’t pay your bill? You’re outta here!” and kicks him out the door.

choosing covenant

I wrote this a while ago when I was feeling conflicted about making covenants while too young to fully understand them. Both the poem and my feelings are still a work in progress, so we can talk about either. “the serpent” you have the power to choose, he hisses, wrapping around my discontent with soothing [...]

Mourning the Plan

When the doorbell rang at 7:30 in the morning, I wasn’t sure I should answer it. Who would be coming over so early in the morning? I peeked out the window and saw it was a FedEx delivery man. Did I order something online? I was briefly excited for the morning surprise. As I grabbed [...]

Are We Remotely in Control?

As much as I would love to take credit for the piece here, I cannot.  I opened my email this morning and found the following thoughtful colloquy on the effects of watching television by my brother, Zachary Hutchins.  He’s a writer and educator, helping his wife to raise three small boys while living in the [...]

Staying Grounded

My brother Aaron wrote a family letter day-before-yesterday, chronicling the goings-on of his week.  It was informal, cheery and full of the stuff that makes up his life.  In closing, he mentioned an article he had read in this month’s Ensign magazine; a Devotional Address entitled “Things As They Really Are” by Elder David A. [...]

Get thee hence, butterdream cookie!

Chocolates on the kitchen counter, heart shaped waffles with whip cream at breakfast, cookies in Young Women’s and a pink lollipop bouquet shyly placed in my hands from an especially sweet girl; ripe red strawberries dipped in Belgian chocolate, a heart shaped cake, pinky red m&ms— I’ve been off sugar for three weeks and ably [...]

Touching the stove to see if it’s really hot

I. A few years ago I was visiting my children’s elementary school, catching up with a friend of mine who teaches there. She asked about my older children who used to attend there and I told her they were mostly doing well, but recounted a difficult experience (now long forgotten) we’d been through with one [...]

Tales of three women

Some time ago I read about a Relief Society presidency that actually had to debate over whether or not to take food in to a sister in their ward—a sister under their stewardship—who was recovering from surgery. Why the big to-do? Because her surgery had been “elective.” Today I express my gratitude to three very [...]

My Life’s True Mission

At twelve, I felt the first stirrings of destiny. What plan did God have for me, and how could I follow it? I took German and French, discovering I had a knack for languages. Maybe I’d serve a mission. Perhaps I’d become an ambassador, maybe even feed the hungry masses in India. I loved, loved, [...]

Paths of Agency

Today’s guest post comes from Natalie H. There’s one word that best describes me: novice. A novice at being a wife and mother. A novice at writing. A novice at the world of blogging. And, most of all, a novice at life (still). Luckily, I love learning and maybe… just maybe… someday I’ll elevate my [...]

Declaring War

I don’t know when I decided to be an adult. I suppose there must have been a decision that meant I chose to “grow up”, but I cannot remember what that decision was or when it happened. I know that I am an adult, with the responsibilities and demands that such involves, but how much [...]

UP CLOSE: Living Single– Titanic Tears and Ministering Angels – Just Another Day Really

If you’d like treat yourself to wonderfully honest, poetic writing from a red-headed Aussie, visit Selwyn’s Sanity. Selwyn is the mother of two boys and is in the middle of a divorce. What more shall I say? I’ll let her writing tell her story. Last night I watched Titanic for the first time. Apparently I [...]

Summer’s Envy

I do NOT want school to start. Right now, we’re swimming in the pool every afternoon, we’re leaving rooms messy, we’re reading on the patio in the evening shade. We’re licking Popsicles, dancing to U2 waaayyyy past bedtime, going to week-long bug camps, scout camps, girls camps. We just got back from a fantastic drive-across-the-country [...]

pieces

I felt the tooth crack, and then shatter like a stone in the garden. Salt Lake’s finest and oldest buildings are formed from Rocky Mountain granite and yet one quick blow from my shovel fractures the rock into tiny grey and white crystals. Spitting the fragments into my palm my tongue probes the hollow– how [...]

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