The End

I recently published my first edited book,  Labor of Love: A Literary Mama Staff Anthology ,  with  Small Harbor Publishing . It's an anthology of writing from  Literary Mama  staff over the past 20 years. It's a beautiful collection and I am proud of the writers and proud to share the book.  It seems a fitting moment, as I pondered sharing about the book here on the blog, to reflect on my life as a blogger, and acknowledge that it is time to officially end this blog.   I started blogging in about 2007, when my baby was learning to toddle, when I was learning how to be a mother and stepmother, when I was just starting to see my way as a writer. I needed it back then. I craved it. I had a variety of blog iterations--family, art, creativity, writing things I delved into. There's a freedom in blogging, a casualness, an easy familiarity that's lacking (for me anyway) in other kinds of writing. I loved blogging and the words came pouring out.  Over the years since then, some
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Little Free Library 2.0


Ten years ago, I opened Little Free Library #4094. Here is my original post about how that library came to be, along with pictures of my family working alongside me to create this little treasure box. Thanks to Jill Swenson, the library became official that year and I wrote this post. 

In the years since, I have thoroughly enjoyed maintaining the library, cleaning it up, and taking and leaving books. There have been mice families living in it and a wide variety of ant and spider visitors. It has been well used by the neighborhood and many books have passed through its walls. 

But time and weather took its toll and the old particle board couldn't stand up any longer. I knew its days were numbers and made plans to replace the old bookshop.  




I paused some of my other projects and used the recent perfect spring weather to get outside and turn this old CD case into a new LFL.



After reroofing with asphalt and a thick coat of spray paint, I once again engaged my family for a day of renovations and help with the details. 


I had a vision for a cat apartment complex, and the boys did some great work to make it come to life. 




We installed the new library and already it is facilitating connections in the neighborhood. When I went out to take a few more pictures, there was already a man perusing the books while his kid napped in a stroller. We chatted and I learned he lives just down the street and walks by my house all the time. 

These chance meetings, friendly connections are the beauty of the Little Free Library. 




The trees are bigger, the kids are bigger, and so much life has happened in these ten years. But I'll always love my Little Free Library, every version of it.


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