Blog Hop – Writers Writing

Mary Claire Reading a Book

What a thrill it is to participate in the Writers Writing blog hop. I was invited and introduced last week by the lovely Ana Hays and am honored to add my voice to the conversation. As most of my readers know, I’ve always been a writer. Tucked away in the back corner of our apartment’s basement […]

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

Pool and Lake

Do kids still write back-to-school essays about their summer adventures? If so, this is what mine will say in August: Nothing. It won’t be entirely true. We’ll do Some Things. We’ll sit by the pool and paddle-boat on the lake. We’ll fish and watch movies and build bonfires and roast marshmallows. We’ll chase the dogs […]

An Abundance of Sad

Sunset

One of my dearest, most beloved high school friends lost his father last week. A devastating loss exacerbated by the fact that my friend’s father — after a lifelong battle with depression — chose to take his own life. Left in his wake are shocked, grieving, devastated, angry family members and friends, trying to make […]

Every Day Is Mothers Day

Kids in Brown County

I woke up this morning with a sore throat and a stuffy nose. Lucy was whining and licking my hand, wanting to be let outside. Once there, she snapped at carpenter bees until she wore herself out and cried to come back in. So began Mothers Day. I called my beautiful Mom, wished her a […]

For Reals

Mary Claire

My 13-year-old daughter has a vernacular all her own. She “feels all the feels” and validates her experiences because they’re “for reals.” She punctuates her sentences with acronyms and wild hand gestures and dramatic facial expressions. When she trips on the sidewalk, she asks, “How do you walk?” That particular phrasing carries over into everything […]