Outbuildings
The property was maybe a forty-five minute drive from my grandparents’ house in the St. Louis city limits, but the contrast between the...
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Patty Ihm
Dec 20, 20204 min read
A Little Toast to Hope
Yesterday, I was having a good day, which really wouldn’t seem extraordinary except there just haven’t been a whole lot of them lately. A...
Patty Ihm
Jun 15, 20202 min read
A Chicken Gets Her Wings
Love, young love, I hope you are well. At least we now both Have a story to tell. —Keaton Henson, “Sarah Minor” I should have known by...
Patty Ihm
Mar 25, 20204 min read
You Always Did Love the Ocean
It was hard to discern where the brilliant blue sky became the ocean’s choppy waves, where the hope looked more like fear. From his...
Patty Ihm
Jan 14, 20203 min read
Fostering Words: Love Isn’t Enough, But At Least It’s Something
As a fresh spring chicken of a foster parent, I was given by one of my dearest friends a candy-pink shirt with the words, “Love is Not...
Patty Ihm
Nov 7, 20193 min read
Snow on the Corn and Other Things that Just Don’t Seem Right
I guess you only get so many chances, at least in this life. Nancy, my favorite chicken, went quietly in the early morning cold of All...
Patty Ihm
Oct 17, 20193 min read
Darkness and Light
My mom sent a photo. It’s hard even to think of my parents as senior citizens, though I am nearly one myself. The image shows...
Patty Ihm
Jul 29, 20194 min read
Trying to be a Farm Girl
My nine-year-old and a couple of his buddies were loading into our car after baseball practice. Before I had started the engine, he...
Patty Ihm
Mar 13, 20194 min read
Raccoon Vs. Chicken Vs. Me
As far as I could see, the gravel road stretched into the expanse of the dreary midday. The road seemed to lead to nowhere, but I felt as...
Patty Ihm
Feb 24, 20192 min read
Circus Freaks and an Animal Parade
I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. I had no idea what to do, so I did nothing. Still, the days passed, and there was...
Patty Ihm
Jan 30, 20194 min read
Open My Eyes; Take Me To My People
It sure is cold outside. She was as sweet a baby as ever I have known, and I was so happy that she was mine. But actually, she wasn’t...
Patty Ihm
Aug 27, 20184 min read
See Ya, Buttheads
It was the wax bottles, the Maryjanes, the sixlets, and the caramel bullseyes, along with a vast array of other vintage candies that held...
Patty Ihm
Jul 13, 20183 min read
Sunsets and Storms
“How long do you think I’ll last? I mean, when do you think I am going to die?” Ethan’s questions still sometimes catch me a bit off...
Patty Ihm
Jun 23, 20184 min read
Mirrors and Empty Containers
Maybe he didn’t intend to leave it here, but I’m happy that he did. The whole kitchen fills with the smell of good coffee, because it’s...
Patty Ihm
Apr 14, 20182 min read
Am I Good?
There’s true magic to outshine the first bloom of an orchid when, through self-study, patience, crossed fingers, and a bit of fish...
Patty Ihm
Feb 11, 20183 min read
Sparkles and Fear
She didn’t say a word, and neither did I. It may have seemed like just a piece of paper, but to me it represented much more. For nearly...
Patty Ihm
Mar 13, 20174 min read
Lions and Lambs
Darkness had already fallen when I finally made my way out to close the chicken door on this cold March night. I was almost startled by...
Patty Ihm
Mar 3, 20174 min read
What’s In Your Egg Basket?
Something happened. Something went wrong, or maybe it didn’t. Words that interrupted my idle thoughts as I stood at the kitchen sink, ...
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