Segullah

Mormon women blogging about the peculiar and the treasured

Patriarchal Blessing

In a couple of weeks my youngest daughter will receive her patriarchal blessing. She’s only thirteen, but for six months now she has been pestering me and my husband about getting her blessing. At first I brushed her off, thinking she wouldn’t be able to understand the blessing’s significance at such a young age, and [...]

“Is Not This the Fast that I Have Chosen?”

Like most of you, I’m guessing, I haven’t always understood or relished the law of the fast. On Fast Sundays as a young girl I hated that hollow, gnawing feeling in my stomach and I passed the time in Sunday school fantasizing about my favorite treats—custard tarts, vanilla slices, lamingtons—always resolving to buy two of [...]

It’s Coming…

Friends, the Summer Break is almost upon us. Swimming pools, lazy mornings, popsicles, anytime cuddles, late breakfasts, and warm nights are just around the corner. And like an evil twin follows messy bedrooms, bored kids, days upon unscheduled days, and endless bickering. I am caught somewhere between counting down the minutes until we are free [...]

Pointers for Nana

I am expecting my first grandbaby, a girl. Her due date is April 2nd which also happens to be my daughter’s birthday. My daughter will get all sorts of tips and attention as a new mother. The baby will bask in the glow of gushing and cooing – heaven knows I’m providing my share already! [...]

A Simple Wish

I stumbled through the dining room this morning, bleary-eyed and hung-over on last night’s dose of cold medicine.  My vision was cloudy, but I laughed as I passed the wooden box with the word “simplify” written decoratively across the front.  It is overflowing with cords, spare chargers and every unclaimed accessory to random electronic gadgets [...]

So, What else do you “do”?

This if for my friend who recently wrote me an email about her discouragement. She has a three-year-old and a new baby. Someone asked her the other day, “So, what do you do besides keep 2 children alive?” They laughed a bit, but the girl waited for an answer and my friend stood there thinking, [...]

Teenage Dating–An Oxymoron?

Those of you who have teens and subscribe to the New Era know that this month’s issue is devoted entirely to teenage dating. When I handed the magazine to my eighteen-year-old son, he rolled his eyes and said, “Teenage dating—now that’s an oxymoron.” First, I was impressed that he used the word “oxymoron.” Then, I [...]

“Let’s Give It Up For Wayne!”

Several weeks ago I found myself standing in front of a crowded auditorium, speaking to hundreds of eager high school jazz players who had come to hear Wayne Bergeron, a Grammy-award-winning jazz trumpet player, instruct them. It was my job to introduce Wayne and to “pump up” the audience. “You know that I’m just a [...]

The Witching Hour

Today’s guest post is from Jenny, who lives on the east coast with her husband and five terrific kids. Her children say: “she cooks good food, and takes too many pictures.” She likes to eat food that other people cook (preferably people in restaurants), take pictures, write, shop, spend time with family and to be [...]

Applause

So the other day my friend, Meredith and I were riding the bus home after picking up our four-year-olds from pre-K. In fact I think we had our four-year-olds and a couple of other people’s four year-olds. Not an uncommon occurrence. The 15 minute commute is often spent making sure the seating arrangements are fair [...]

Flu’s Blues

It started with a few coughs and a sniffly nose. Within hours my son was shivering under a blanket on the couch. Body aches, headache, a raging fever that lasted for three days, and hacking, coughing and lots of whining followed. And that’s how the swine flu (excuse me, the H1N1 virus) arrived at our [...]

O Remember, Remember

About a month ago one of our ward missionaries sent me an email explaining that they are getting ready to launch a missionary blog and asking if I would write down my conversion story for them to post. I agreed, and though I haven’t started writing it yet, I’ve been thinking a lot about it [...]

Art of Raising Children

Pieta moments I wake up to a small sound at midnight, my Miss Clavell-like mother sensors detecting something is not right. There it is again–a soft sniffle, a low moan. Is someone crying? I shuffle into the hallway, squinting from the scant hour of sleep and still half in my dream. Maddy is crying–a soft, [...]

Spiritual Resiliency

Everyone in our ward adored Brother Brown.* His countenance radiated light and goodness; his testimony was firm, sincere, and powerful. He drew us in droves to his gospel doctrine class and then, as a loving priests quorum adviser, he shaped and molded hard-edged teenage boys into men. He was a skilled and busy physician, the [...]

Scary Teachers, Scary Parents

I have a child who hates school.   He didn’t always hate school.    The kindergartener who upstaged all the other tyrannosaurus rexes loved school.   The first grader whose portrayal of Medusa delighted audiences at the end of the Greek mythology unit adored school.   His first years of learning were joyous and fun.  What happened to my youngest [...]

keep looking »

  • be our friend.



  • Contact Us

    Journal subscriptions: journal.subscriptions at segullah dot org
    Technical issues:
    webmaster at segullah dot org
    Other inquiries:
    info at segullah dot org

  • More Kinds of Segullah

  • How Do You Say Segullah?

    se-goo-law rhymes
    Oo-la-lah, Segullah
    write and draw, Segullah
    coup d'etat, Segullah
    Blanche DuBois, Segullah
    shock and awe, Segullah
    Lah-dee-dah, Segullah
    looky, ma! Segullah!

  • Get published.

    The clock is ticking! Gear up to enter Segullah's annual personal essay, poetry, and fiction contests. Guidelines here. Deadline is December 31.

  • Admin