Strangers tell me things. I’m the woman minding her own business, just scooting by to grab some orange juice off the shelf, who ends up listening to a stranger’s story of their bitter divorce or recent bankruptcy or emergency colon resection. I don’t know why this is, but some of these “random” encounters have left […]
La Verna Sanctuary is tucked away in the Apennine mountains of Tuscany. To get there from Assisi, you drive an hour and a half on the highway, and then wind your way up Monte Penna. Much of northern Italy is underwater at the moment, and the drive from Umbria was through a monsoon; we made […]
I fell asleep to an episode of Dateline last week. I watch Dateline pretty often late at night. It’s on all the time, which is helpful for those of us who are awake between midnight and five a.m. Plus, I find the way the episodes are structured really interesting, and if you can tolerate a bit of murder […]
The House You Build A few weeks ago, as a hurricane churned off the coast and storm preparations were at a fever pitch, I discovered that the artesian well that provides water to my entire house had been damaged. It was late, and I was getting ready for bed, doing all the things you do […]
I recently watched a 2016 TED talk about confirmation bias, delivered by a researcher named Julia Galef. In it, Galef characterizes two approaches to information, calling one “the Soldier” mindset, and the other, “the Scout.” The Soldier, Galef explains, reacts to everything with adrenaline, and is fueled by the need to protect herself and defeat […]
On the bulletin board in my home office, there is a clipping from the Wall Street Journal that has yellowed and curled up at the edges. It is a profile of an Old Town, Alexandria, VA Federal-style mansion for sale, with photos and a brief interview with the owner. The owner was selling it because her husband […]
One of the unfortunate side effects of being in grad school is that you lose both the energy and enthusiasm for reading outside of your coursework. By the time I hit the pillow at night, I’ve already digested so much material that all I want to do is turn off my brain. Happily, Netflix has […]
Recently I was group-texting with two of the great loves of my life, guys I’ve known since I was a teenager. As a trio, and as separate duos, we’ve had a whole lot of fun, some of which we actually remember…and some of which involved the cops. Thirty years of loving your sorry asses! I wrote, to […]
Recently in Old Testament class (“OT” if you’re cool, remember? We’ve been over this), we were talking about the prophecy of Ezekiel, which is a pretty wild story. Ezekiel has a vision similar to what someone might have on, say, peyote, and then Yahweh calls him to do some pretty wacky stuff in order to […]
A few days ago, I attended the ordination of an Episcopal priest. In our church, ordination comes after a long process of discernment, evaluation, and three years of seminary and field work. A good many Episcopal priests have had a career prior to entering seminary; in my current class, we’ve got lawyers, doctors, teachers, and […]
What a gift it was to discover What’s Left Undone! At a time when all the world appears to be seeking sanity, Corey looks the world directly in the eye and offers it a loving embrace and a healthy dose of “get over yourself.” Her gift is to write with emotion, love, respect for the written word and the reader, and an honesty that pours over you like a warm summer rain. I look forward to each new post on What’s Left Undone because I know that whatever craziness surrounds me at that moment will be held at bay by her magnificent stories of perfect imperfection. Read her work now, if for no other reason than one day you’ll be able to say, “I read her before she was famous…”
– Richard Abbott
What’s Left Undone blends irreverence and reverence in a hilarious and often touching blog that celebrates friendships, family and faith without shying away from colorful language or cultural criticism. Her sharp wit and wise words keep me coming back again and again!
– Susan Johnson