The Destruction Phase
Sometimes things have outgrown their usefulness, or are proven to be harmful, or you just find a better way.
Lillie grew up on a forty-acre hay farm in Central Oregon, making the trek to Michigan to study mechanical engineering and sustainability. After graduating in 2020, she moved to Rochester, NY, where her day job as an engineer for the local gas utility funds her outdoor adventures, love of books, various craft projects, and investment in her new community.
Dating Apps
Dear God I hate having to think of a cute opening line. It’s horrifying.
Did You Catch Anything?
I stood in the middle of the stream, my line whizzing back and forth, back and forth as I tried to remind my arm how to lay the line down gently.
DB Cooper and Unsolved Mysteries
Like all Northwesterners, I do have my own pet theory about the Cooper case.
Mine Is the Easy Job
All I must do is mourn with those who mourn, offer my voice to those who can’t find the words, condemn hate and harm.
“Top of the Morning” and Other Fake Goodbyes
Which emails and conversations am I signing off “top of the morning” and which are a definitive “see ya never, loser”?
As Two As They Come
I found the Enneagram about five years ago now, and I know this is going to sound dramatic, but hear me out: it changed my life.
Financial Freedom
Taking ownership of your finances is daunting, but possible.
Native Plants Are My Love Language
I’ve found that loving myself means letting myself love and delight in the things around me.
Unsung Heroes of Clean Energy
Having limits makes finding solutions that much more exciting.
(Wo)mentors
These are all women who have stepped up and said, “Lillie, what do you need?”
The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of Chaos Lillie
I don’t quite remember how we came up with the name Dusty Kevin, but it had something to do with mispronouncing Dostoyevsky while making enough pierogies to feed an army.
My Vegetarian Philosophy
I can’t remember the last time I bought meat at the grocery store.
The Dog Days
Some days I think it would be a comfort to be the focus of a prophecy.
Psychosomatic Me
My physical and emotional being are inextricably intertwined, and that’s a good thing.
Rapamycin and Resilience
I’m sure the famine was still hard, even with the storehouses of supplies.
John and Me
In the quiet of my own home I find myself always coming back to the gentle, familiar music of my childhood.
Lessons in College-Kid Hospitality
It was a relief to cut veggies or set the table and feel part of the space-making.
Signs of Spring
We do love Jesus. We do love people. But we are finding it harder and harder to love the church.
Imposter
When I sat in my safety seminar for new hires, I was the one woman in a room of fifteen men.
Unhinged
It’s an old house; it can’t be that secure, right?
Woods Withdrawal
Being outside makes me a better person. I can’t explain it.
Stacking Stones
With each stone I added, I thought of the people, places, and experiences that make me who I am
(N)itrogen (N)erd
Being a terrifying nitrogen nerd is one of my brother’s very few failings, and in this case it turned out to be a great help.
After Midnight
Almost despite myself, I’m finding that I do enjoy the quiet, the darkness.
The Matriarch
I hope that, along with her name, I will always carry some reflection of her in me.
The Wall Tent
An 8×10 waterproof canvas tent with metal poles and the space for a wood stove, that tent has seen most of Oregon.
