Writing

I'm quite fond of holiday-related home décor. I admire my friend Kristen’s designation of bar-top counter space for each holiday’s festive wares. And I’m usually not offended by October decorations showing up on July 5. I know, I’m strange that way. In short, I understand consumerism and I appreciate cute decorations and holiday tchotchkes. Here in Florida, we’ve had a sucker of a winter, where temperatures will fluctuate 30 degrees in 6 hours, it seems. I’ve contracted my sh

I decided to retreat from my busy day after dinner tonight. I laid on the floor in the living room and my Bassett-mix hound, Greta, quickly took to my side. Her big paw tapped my face, urging me to pet her. I scratched her neck, scratched her belly, and noticed how saggy her gut is now that she’s 11. My perspective is so different from down here, I thought. She knew I needed to relax tonight after a busy day, or did she? More likely, she needed me to relax for her. So, I deci

What stories does your mind tell you about your body? My mind, over 35 years of being a female who judges her body (I estimate I started when I was 7), has created the following thoughts: my forehead is high my eyebrows are bushy my head is big my feet are big, too (but my pinkie toenail is very, very small) my teeth are not straight enough my butt is rather flat the veins in my hands are very pronounced … and someday soon I will inevitably inherit my grandmother’s potbelly.

I remember the story like it was yesterday. Her parents bought her a 10k gold garnet and cubic zirconia ring; her first “real” ring. They gifted it in honor of her 13th birthday, and she was beyond moved. To her, the ring represented their love for her, their pride in her, how she was a good daughter deserving of such a valuable gift. The next week at school, she arrived in science lab class proudly wearing her shiny new ring. No doubt she showed it to her friends and they wi

Some people have impressive memory banks. My sister could probably tell you what shirt I was wearing that time in high school my Volkswagen Super beetle broke down in the mall parking lot. My husband likely could recall every vacation we’ve taken since we got married, in what year and month the vacation occurred, and how many restaurants we dined in while we were out and about. “Did we go on vacation last summer, honey?” “You mean that one to Yellowstone that cost us thousand