MUSINGS ON LIFE AND WRITING WITH SARAH BUCKLEITNER
I’m sitting at our old wooden table right now. There are wine stains on it, and flour has been permanently scoured into its surface. The cats use its legs as scratching posts. This table had a generic start: in an Ikea store in Minneapolis, but over the years it has collected memories. I kneaded my … Continue reading On Minor Miracles
Working at a humane society, I often come across the notion that a large dog can’t live in a small apartment. “Oh, we certainly don’t have room for a dog that size,” the person will say, eyes roving disapprovingly over a Labrador mix of medium stature. Having personally housed a 90 lb Great Dane/Labrador/husky mix … Continue reading On Large Dogs in Small Apartments
Right now I’m sitting on the couch with the window flung wide open, listening to the symphony of frogs that has congregated outside. It’s been unseasonably wet and warm. In the span of a week, we went from frozen soil and brown, withered plants to green unfurling everywhere. And best of all are the spring … Continue reading On Luck and Loss
Alone. It's a weighty concept, one packed with loneliness and independence and freedom. It means handling problems that arise all by yourself. Bearing life's weight on your own back. But with that independence comes freedom from another person's opinions and needs. It means living your life exactly the way you want to live it, unrestrained … Continue reading The Merits of Being Alone
Spring is wrapping up here in Mississippi. Now when I step onto the deck each morning with Chara, the air is as warm and soft as a second skin. The brilliant spring blooms have faded, and the garden is well established. And with these changes come other big life changes. About three weeks ago … Continue reading On Change
Talking about money can be awkward. But I think it's important too, so I'm just going to dive right into it: Jordan and I are poor. He's a graduate student with a meager stipend, and I work for a non-profit. In the last few months, we've had a huge shift in how we think about … Continue reading On Money Matters
Yesterday, Jordan and I got into a fight. I'm sharing this because it's an important reality of our relationship. We aren't perfect. We are messy, we are human. But it's easy to come off as perfect when you write pieces about the beautiful little moments together. The fight started with me, before even I could have guessed … Continue reading On Moodiness
Here in Mississippi, spring is on its way. The air is balmy and warm, birds flitter around our feeder, and Chara's fur gathers in tumbleweeds in the corners of our home. These changes, along with talk of New Year's resolutions, always turn my thoughts to the future. What's the outcome I see for myself? What … Continue reading On wanting what you have
It has been two months since Jordan and I got married. Given all that has happened, it feels like it's been two years. Jordan's sister stayed with us for a month (to be clear: this was the best ever), Donald Trump got elected to lead our country, our car broke down, and--right after our car … Continue reading On Near-Murder and Marriage
I'm going to start off with my usual spiel: I'm not a psychologist, or a life-coach, or any other such thing. I'm just a 24 year old girl who thinks a lot and writes to connect with other people. Everything below is my humble opinion, and it is not meant to tell you how to … Continue reading On Finding the Bright Spots
Feathery Thoughts 