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The phrase “holidays” is a trauma trigger for me. Spend this many years on life’s holiday production staff and shit will happen. With that many moving parts, some sort of system, communication, or technical breakdown and failure is inevitable. Additionally, in 2024, this “most wonderful time of the year” is dirtied by the politics of…
I feel like I’ve been holding my breath. Waiting for the weather to finally begin changing. Waiting for a new life path to appear. Something about these days feel still. Like I’m waiting for some epiphany about what’s next. I’m perhaps past due for some mindmapping or something to help me divine and anchor myself…
As I’m sitting about digesting this week, I’ve had a few thoughts and I thought to share them with you. Like, the fun part about getting older is that you begin to realize what makes you happy and what doesn’t. This corresponds with another realization that you are truly the primary person who you owe…
The burble and hustle of the holidays are about to spill over the edge of my life. Before I put my head down and belly up to my ” We are All Event Planners ” position, I’d like to pause and tell you the reasons why I do any of this. A few of the…
I feel “off” if I don’t try to redecorate my mantel spaces, bar top, and/or shelves every so often. I’m especially compelled to make a total difference redecorating for Summer and for Winter. It’s a “Thing”. This year, I happily entertained the achievement of some of this activity both for Halloween here and now for…
I dare say I take everything for granted . Intentional thankfulness almost takes a little effort. But I know this so I slip free from the grips of guilt if I sit back and have a think. And recently Fiona keeps saying “thank you”. Why am I surprised to hear that from my three year…
We had occasion to go to my Mother-in-Law’s for dinner on a recent Sunday. The air outside has begun to get nippier. And we hustled onto the enclosed porch catching sight of Grammy at the sink in her Orioles t-shirt. As she opened the kitchen door, she greeted the littlest one first as we all…
I realized recently that every culture has a thanks-giving celebration with their family community/society to give thanks for what they have. A ritual communal gratitude for their connection to other people, their ability to eat, and to exist. At least once a year, we all have an opportunity to be grateful. I’ll take mine…
I used to have another life involving another husband, another set of in-laws who hosted Thanksgiving at their house, and no car. Eventually, we stopped showing up for Thanksgiving dinner. Divorce is sad but my happy memory is of making my own meals based on whatever theme I felt like experimenting with. And I continued…
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