It is the last day of vacation. "I'm bad with transitions," I announce to my family. As if that is actually a thing. I say it confidently, hoping that they will think I am speaking with the diagnostic authority of an old nurse, which they know better than to question. I hope it will sound … Continue reading Coming home
#52for52
Blogging once a week in my 52nd year
Everything I need to know I learned from my dog
We're in the dog days now, folks. I mean, we're in late July, so I can only assume that Sirius, the "dog star", is now rising before the sun, signaling the beginning of the hottest and - according to the Greeks and Romans and many of us modern day folks too, if for different reasons - … Continue reading Everything I need to know I learned from my dog
Beth, for one
"You've been to the beach by yourself before," my husband remarked casually, as he loaded a single beach chair, and the little cooler, the one that we almost never used, into the back of my car. I squared up and looked him in the eye. "Really?" I demanded. "When?" It came out more abruptly than … Continue reading Beth, for one
Of Moms and Men
Our tribe once had a name: we were the Boy Moms. We were the ones who stepped on Legos in bare feet in the middle of the night and yelled at our sons to please stop jumping off of the back of the couch. We demanded that they not hit each other with light sabers … Continue reading Of Moms and Men
How to be a Writer, in 10 easy steps
Pretend that you are already a Writer. Procrastinate doing any actual Writing, and instead practice telling people that you are a Writer, imagine writing your way to the New York Times Bestseller List, and plan your appearance on the Today Show. Mindlessly Google topics like "Tips for Successful Blogging", and "How to Know If You … Continue reading How to be a Writer, in 10 easy steps
Out of the box
I took the huge cardboard box down from the attic. It was the first time in decades that I'd really looked at it, even though we'd moved it several times, even though I had always known exactly where it was: behind the Halloween costumes, next to the sole surviving box of craft supplies. The box was covered … Continue reading Out of the box
Ants on a blog
I had left my day job, and was looking forward to a summer schedule, but I also knew that writers need structure, and that I very much need structure, or nothing gets done. I was looking for a way around that, when I thought of the #52for52 thing. I love writing so much when I'm … Continue reading Ants on a blog
Found
I watched in stunned disbelief as my friend's face started to change, to screw up into a shape in which I had never, in all the years I have known her, seen it before. Hers is an exceptionally expressive and lovely face, but this was so unfamiliar that I didn't know what was happening at … Continue reading Found
The golden hour
The school year ended quietly at my house. It was a tough year coming to a close, on an unseasonably cool and cloudy day. A cold and broken Hallelujah. Thank you GOD, I think, I move the early-alarm button back one click to the "off" position, we made it. It's ovah. It's not all the … Continue reading The golden hour
How Breast Cancer Comes Back: 10 Things to Know
The news that Olivia Newton-John's breast cancer has returned, a full 20 years after her original diagnosis and treatment, has many wondering, How does this even happen? A diagnosis of stage IV, or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) brings with it a life-changing and ongoing process of grieving and adjustment and treatment changes. This can be … Continue reading How Breast Cancer Comes Back: 10 Things to Know
I’m the one in the crown
I am 52 today. After cancer, your never take a single birthday for granted. You ask yourself how you got so lucky to have another one. Sometimes you still wonder how many more there will be. You learn not to mention this part to your friends and family, though, because it comes off vaguely morose, … Continue reading I’m the one in the crown
And on Saturday, nothing happened
"The waiting is the hardest part." - Tom Petty "Seriously, if you love me at all, just put me in a drug-induced coma and wake me when it's over." - Me It's Holy Saturday, otherwise known as The Day When Nothing Happened. It gets lost amid all the flashier days of Holy Week but it … Continue reading And on Saturday, nothing happened
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