“Well, genetics strike again,” I told Ray yesterday morning as I stepped over a hefty percentage of my shoe collection, finding the one empty square foot of floorspace in our tiny, cluttered bedroom. He looked up from a giant pile of laundry, eyebrows raised. “Sophie’s not going to her senior prom.” For once, my […]
The other day, I was passing through Annabelle’s bedroom when a painting taped to the wall caught my eye. It’s a watercolor, one of dozens posted all over the walls and doors of the tiny room, mixed in with Polaroid photos and letters from friends, a small blue structure with a terracotta roof, hovering […]
I’m really not one for physical pain, but there’s something almost satisfying about the sting of lemon juice on my fingers, a reminder that I really need to leave my cuticles alone. I’ve accidentally run the grater over my hand a couple of times. There’s nothing pleasant about that. And yet, I’ve addressed the overwhelming […]
Dear Sophie, I’m sitting at the kitchen table on the day before your 18th birthday. No one else is home. The dogs are asleep, the cat’s outside and I can hear myself think – not necessarily a good thing. In a lot of ways, I’m ready for your birthday. I can smell the chocolate bundt cake […]
Facebook memories, you’re killing me. I brace myself each morning, reminded of how it feels on the rare occasions I leave the house, driving past coffee shops, boutiques and other favorite spots that are currently things of the past. This week it’s all the back to school photos from previous years, my […]
Desperate times mean it’s time to dance — at least, that’s how it’s been in our house this spring. Sophie’s working toward her goal of becoming a dance teacher by offering her first-ever dance class! On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 3:30 pm PST, you can join her virtual class via Zoom. No experience […]
I’m proud of my girls every day — that should go without saying — but Sophie really blew me away this weekend with her performance at Shoo Flies. Shoo Flies is the little sister of Bar Flies, a live reading series I co-produce featuring “true stories — and drinks” held monthly at a bar in […]
Greetings friends and family! I’m getting this one in just under the wire, as 2019 slows to a halt. It’s extra chilly here in the Arizona desert, and we are enjoying rare views of snow on far away mountains and treasured time with cousins. I had every intention this year of sending a real letter, […]
If you ask the thermometer on my car dashboard, summer is in full swing. But Sophie goes back to school next week so we’ve been washing backpacks, shopping for highlighters and generally returning to reality after several weeks of travel. Last week the girls and I dragged ourselves away from the beach, moving slowly […]
Today we have a guest post from one of my favorite writing students, Anita Whitely. For her final project in “Mapping Your Memoir,” a class I teach at Phoenix College, Anita wrote a letter. I won’t say anything more — except thank you, Anita. I have learned so much from you. I am a […]
