From Nuclear Energy to Roasted Chicken: The Joys of Following Your Own Path
There was a time when I had not heard of the Food Network or HGTV. It was my children who brought them into my awareness. While most kids are secreted in their rooms watching something they weren’t supposed to be watching, mine were into Chopped, The Next Food Network...
Writing This Chapter
I’ve always loved books. Some of my earliest memories are of being read to, either on someone’s lap, or by Captain Kangaroo, as I sat transfixed, too close to the black and white TV screen. What drew me in were the stories, the pictures and the characters. Especially...
Nothing Is As It Should Be
“When I used to read fairy tales, I fancied that kind of thing never happened, and now here I am in the middle of one!” - From Alice in Wonderland “I cannot count on anything to be a certain way,” said my friend Susan, during one of our bi-monthly conversations....
How Getting Stuck in the Snow Can Help You Now
I learned to drive in Michigan. And if you learn to drive in Michigan, you sure better learn how to drive in the winter. If you find yourself stuck – and you will – there are a few different ways to deal with it: Wait it out until Spring – or until someone comes to...
Dads, Dogs and #BlackLivesMatter
If you want to experience unconditional love, get a dog. There is no better living example of this quality than seeing a dog, who has just been ignored or reprimanded or worse, coming back with its tail wagging, as if to say “I’m sorry, all is forgiven, I just love...
Speaking the Language
My father-in-law, Dick, was diagnosed with Lewy body Dementia late in his life. It’s a horrible condition akin to having Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s at the same time. My mother-in-law was doing the lion’s share of taking care of him and REALLY needed a break, so we...
It’s Hard to Be A Chameleon in a Quarantine
For most of my life I have been able to “fit in”. In fact, I became so adept at it, that more than once I have been asked directions in a city I was visiting for the first time. I can pick up mannerisms and accents easily. When speaking with someone, I can pick up...
How Sunday Dinners with My Family Prepared Me for This Moment
Some families like to discuss current events. Some families like to argue. Some families like to complain. Some worry. Some nag. Some ignore each other. My family likes to laugh. And I’ve realized it is the greatest gift I could ever have been given. My maternal...
Doing What is Right for YOU
It’s springtime. The sun is shining, the grass is green, the flowers and trees are in bloom. I watch the season unfolding from inside my apartment, grateful for the view and the reminder that at least SOMETHING is “normal” these days. I’ve frankly struggled with the...
Its Practically Like Paris
Last week it felt like Paris. The quiet, the solitude, the watching and waiting. This is why I love to go there: it’s time away from all my usual life, a time to slow down and just listen. I was nearly giddy with the prospect of not having to DO anything! This week it...
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