A Homecoming
Ever since we moved to Mississippi in July, I’ve been floundering through my days, trying to make my way. I’ve been detached, untethered, a kite bouncing around in the wind, the child at the other end distracted and uninterested. This weekend, that changed. It was the Cotton District Arts Festival and Super Bulldog Weekend in […]
In the Eye of the Beholder
This is what shameless self-promotion looks like. It’s not pretty. It’s a pony tail and a baseball cap, some leftover mascara, a sunburned nose, a wine-stained sleep shirt (ironically, one from St. V’s NICU reunion), and coffee breath. It feels a bit like whoring, all this plugging for myself. Well, whoring without the sexual gratification […]
Notes and Words Essay Contest Finalist!
Okay, friends and loyal blog followers also known as friends, I know I just posted. I know I was just wallowing in self-pity because my agent said “no” yesterday. I KNOW. But as this world often does, mine just did a big 180-degree turn. A few minutes ago, I received word that my essay had […]
Twisted
It was a last minute decision, a spur-of-the-moment road trip. My cousin, Brandi — unexpectedly expecting her second son, thirteen years after the first — was the guest of honor at a Brown County baby shower thrown by our cousin, April. All my aunts, cousins (save a few), and cousins’ kids were scheduled to be […]
Note to Self
“CBS This Morning” kicked off its new series “Note to Self” yesterday morning with the beautiful 83-year-old soul, Maya Angelou, whose words always enfold me in comfort and grace. It’s like liquid sunshine, that voice. I love CBS’s new project, and I love Maya Angelou, and I was inspired to write my own letter to […]
Super Bowl Envy
I’ve got it bad. It’s not attractive, not pretty. But I’ve got it. I don’t like being envious, covetous, jealous… and yet, there it is. So I’m just going to embrace it. I have a severe case of FOMO, Jeryl. (That’s Fear of Missing Out for those of you not privy to my acronyms.) And […]
Wherever I’m With You
Home. It’s a loaded word, isn’t it? Chock-full of slippery semantics. I’m a native Hoosier. Grew up in Greenfield, went to school both in Bloomington and in Muncie, raised my kids in Zionsville. In July, we moved The Tribe to Starkville. Now we call Mississippi home. Here’s the thing. Home is where my family is. […]
Freshly Pressed + Gus
Today, my plan was to give you a new spin on an old story. I’ve re-written our NICU experience in 800 words or less for a parenting memoir submission, and although many of you already know Gus’s story, I bet you haven’t heard it in 800 words or less. I bet you haven’t heard me […]
The Gift of Letting Go
When I write fiction, I write about relationships. Siblings, spouses, children, parents, friends. Our lives are shaped and molded by our relationships. And sometimes they can be tricky. So, I write about them to help illuminate what’s important, what’s universal, what we all struggle with, what we all sink into and find comfort in — […]
The Recipe for Success
I’m mesmerized by those who do it well. The assurance, the graceful and fluid movements, the alchemy, the aroma, the moans of pleasure that inevitably result. But alas, cooking remains a mystery to me. When I’m in the kitchen, I spill things, burn things, forget to put eggs in the meatloaf (thus resulting in the […]