Dad’s Guide to Life My dad was a teacher, and like many outstanding teachers, he never took time off from teaching. Sure, there were vacations and summers, but he was always on the job. If no students were around, he always had my sister and me. I have put together some of his most important… Continue Reading
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Moving on once again.
Yes, it’s that time. And while these are actual boxes in my actual house, they do not contain my personal memories. But it’s a fairly accurate portrayal of how much stuff I still need to wrap up before I leap into the next month-long look back. For those of you who have been along for… Continue Reading
A Musical Interlude
Just because…it seems like I’ve gone from zero to 45 in a moment.
You learn a few things over the years
So, at 40, how much life knowledge had I accumulated? Some. Taking a break from the aftermath of the fire to reflect on things I wish I’d known sooner. (Inspired by Nora Ephron, who did it first and better) Curly hair will always be curly, no matter what. Using sunscreen all the… Continue Reading
When the Going Gets Tough…
Yes, the tough get going–but in my case, the tough also have a big party. My fortieth birthday came barely a month after the fire that destroyed my house and my neighborhood. My husband had planned a big party for me (not a surprise party–we’d already had enough surprises), and people managed to track him… Continue Reading
Mommies, Part 2
The Moms in the Mountains, continued. Captured at the kitchen table: (front) Lisa, Cindy, Chris; (back) Jo, Sara, me. 1998 In my imagination, I can take the trip with my friends to the cabin in the Sierra foothills any time I want. A group of women on the lam, families left behind for a… Continue Reading
For Dearest Mommies, Part 1
No, not Mommy Dearest– it’s Dearest Mommies: A tribute to some special women who came into my life when I was in my mid-thirties. I don’t really remember the first time we met. You know how it is with long-time friends– you feel as though you’ve always known each other.But there had to be that… Continue Reading
1+1 does not equal 2
Why is this woman smiling? She has a secret… (Apparently, I wrote but did not publish this particular post, just saved it as a draft for some reason. So time travel back with me to 1980…) One plus one does not equal two?Well, that’s what my pediatrician said when I told him I was pregnant… Continue Reading
Time to Move On…
…and I’m already a little behind. (Cue the wisecracks from my kids.) I’m supposed to flip to the next half-decade on the 14th of the month. But, hey–my rules, so I can break them again. Before I move on to the next five-year stretch, when things get really interesting, I need to get a few… Continue Reading
What Goes Up Must Come Down
Gravity: it’s the law! And it works on a lot of levels…but the summer after James was born, I decided to challenge the law on my own terms. Be careful what you wish for The T-shirt says “Go Wild,” but the face says, “I’m bored.”We were on vacation at Donner Lake and I was feeling,… Continue Reading