Chaos Theory

When everything around you is falling apart, it can feel like the world is going to end (or maybe you wish that it would). Maybe you're doing your level best to keep things harmonious in your life, but then somehow you lose your focus for a split second. You make a bad decision and suddenly … Continue reading Chaos Theory

Change of life

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear that phrase? I'm betting that it will have something to do with a midlife woman navigating the perimenopausal years. It certainly always did for me. Now that I'm in the thick of it, however, I'm realizing that this phrase has multiple layers of meaning … Continue reading Change of life

Mother’s monkey mind

On a recent episode of The Middle, the mom Frankie got it wrong. For mother's day, she thought she wanted the entire day to herself, free of husband and children, to do whatever she wanted to. This was a classic episode of "be careful what you wish for" because all she managed to do that … Continue reading Mother’s monkey mind

Divine Intervention

One morning, as I was rushing around getting ready for my day, I finished getting dressed and then went to get my earrings. I reached  into the small vintage glass  Pyrex pudding dish where I keep the few pieces of jewelry that I wear most frequently, intending to get my favorites. They were a pair … Continue reading Divine Intervention

Brave New Girls

The other night I went to the Talent Show at my daughter's junior high school. The cost of $5 per person was a bit off-putting at first, but when I learned that all of the money raised was for charity (to help in Japan, Haiti, and here at home), I didn't mind. They also held a bake … Continue reading Brave New Girls

Spring chicks update, week 5: Teens in transition

The peeps have graduated!!!  They are "teenagers" now...each week in a chicken's life roughly corresponding to 3 to 4 years in an adult's life (in my non-expert opinion). They are big enough to move to the transitional coop where they can see the big chickens and the big chickens can see them. This gives both … Continue reading Spring chicks update, week 5: Teens in transition

Post Easter Post

Easter is one of my favorite holidays, having somehow escaped the drama and bad memories with which  many of the other major holidays are fraught  for me. Although the bunny is now known to be Mom and Dad by both kids, we continue the traditions that we started when they were little. We fill a basket … Continue reading Post Easter Post

Write it down, make it happen

Okay, it's a book (not mine!) title. It occurred to me to apply the philosophy of: "If you build it, they will come" espoused by James Earl Jones and put into force by Kevin Costner in the Field of Dreams movie which coincidently (?!) contained a female lead character named "Karen" (not sure how she … Continue reading Write it down, make it happen

Congdon’s Donut Shop

I have to restrain myself or I'd go to Congdon's every day, since it's just a few miles from where I live. It's dangerously addictive. Why? Well, let me count the ways: 1. The donuts are amazing. The variety is quite extensive, and includes my favorite: Blueberry filled (see slide show below) donut. (Note: Dunkin … Continue reading Congdon’s Donut Shop

Pause and reflect

Spring has sprung me--and as they say, better late than never. My cocoon of too much food and too little exercise has cracked open. What I've learned this winter is this: the more I eat, the more I want to eat, and the less I exercise, the less I want to exercise. My wake up … Continue reading Pause and reflect