The Whimsical Pen

Musings, Ramblings and Minor Mischief

Welcome! I'm so glad you stopped by!
I write essays, poetry, short stories and various other scribblings, and it's a pleasure to share them with you. If you’d like to leave comments or be

notified when I post new work, please subscribe at the bottom.

Thanks for reading!

Heather Jerrie

Jul 26, 20233 min read

Shine!

Are you a list maker? I am. Somehow I just feel adrift if I don't have a pen at hand and that reassuring little piece of paper with all...

Heather Jerrie

Apr 29, 20233 min read

Pianos and Knotty Problems

Today let's talk about solving problems. Let's talk about ideas in the night, shifting a pebble and setting off an avalanche, and the...

Heather Jerrie

Feb 18, 20233 min read

Stronger Than Any Earthquake

Imagine this: you're at home eating dinner when suddenly the table starts to shudder and shake. A low rumbling begins, growing louder...

Heather Jerrie

Jan 31, 20233 min read

Tending the Winter Fire

It snowed last night. Again. I got up this morning and looked out the window at the snow on the deck and the grey skies, just like...

Heather Jerrie

Aug 19, 20224 min read

Change: Detour Ahead

Good morning! How's your life journey going? I'm guessing you got up this morning with a pretty good idea what your day would look like....

Heather Jerrie

Mar 10, 20223 min read

How Far?

The snow started just as we set out. Night was approaching, but we'd be fine, we said. We didn't have that far to go. We'd be home...

Heather Jerrie

Dec 31, 20213 min read

Let's Make a Fresh Start!

Are you ready to say goodbye to 2021? I sure am! It seems to have blended into 2020 somehow, into one long blur of worry and change and...

Heather Jerrie

Dec 24, 20212 min read

Bravery, with Lights On

I've been trying for days to write our annual Christmas letter. You know, the peppy list of everything you did over the year, complete...

Heather Jerrie

Nov 25, 20212 min read

Still Loved, Just As We Are

There's an old shirt hanging in my bedroom closet. It's faded and worn and not much to look at, I guess. But it's my favorite shirt,...

Heather Jerrie

Oct 10, 20216 min read

Three Acres of Wonder

If you were to knock on our door these days, you probably wouldn't find me at home. Like as not I'm in our little patch of woods out...

Heather Jerrie

Sep 7, 20213 min read

A Thousand Summer Blessings

It always takes me by surprise, for some reason. Oh, the signs are always there - that certain chill in the air, a hint of color in the...

Heather Jerrie

Aug 11, 20214 min read

Dear God: You've Got Mail

Pray to God, but row for shore. - Russian sailor's proverb What is it about us humans? Just look at the trouble we get ourselves into! ...

Heather Jerrie

Jun 12, 20214 min read

Welcome Back!

I went to a concert a few days ago. It was a simple affair, set outside in the cool evening air by the river's edge. We sat apart from...

Heather Jerrie

Feb 1, 20213 min read

Lost - and Then Found

We've lost so much over these past months, haven't we? We've lost loved ones, lost our jobs, lost precious time with kids and...

Heather Jerrie

Jan 16, 20213 min read

Have Courage

What a week this has been! We've watched history unfold right before our eyes, and it's been so painful to watch. I don't know about...

Heather Jerrie

Dec 9, 20202 min read

And Then the Earth Moved

For a moment that will go down in history, it was humble. It unfolded not on a battlefield or in the roar of a rocket taking off, not in...

Heather Jerrie

Nov 23, 20203 min read

I Love You. Please Stay Home.

I started to write a letter this morning. It went like this: Dear Family, I love you. I'd love to have you here for the holidays. So...

Heather Jerrie

Oct 30, 20202 min read

Everyday Heroes

We need your light. Shine, and help us find our way!

Heather Jerrie

Oct 3, 20204 min read

Hang In There, America

Hold on - this awful ride won't last forever.

Heather Jerrie

Sep 12, 20204 min read

Broken Open

Let's talk today about brokenness, and about beginning to mend. First, a question: when was the last time you felt safe - really safe? ...

Contact

hjerrie34@gmail.com