Hannah would get to sleep early and get ready for everyone first thing in the morning, since she’d had no time to prepare today. The day had not gone at all as she had planned. Her mother’s discharge from the rehab center had been delayed. They had said all week she would go home Friday. […]
Getting to Know Each Other: A Short Story About A. Kelly
Aidan would go to bed early and be ready for her first thing in the morning. Imagine, seeing his daughter after 30 years! His stomach had been going from fluttery to lead all day. He should have taken the day off, he couldn’t even concentrate. Then he could have had all the lunch things delivered […]
Sunshine State Winter: The Surprising Thing About Winter in Florida
Here’s the thing about winter in Florida. While I’ve grown up in Florida, I’ve also lived in other states in the US and spent plenty of winters – over half my life – outside of the Sunshine State. I’ve endured blizzards and ice storms and stayed home through school and government snow days. I’ve dug […]
Nonfiction Book Review: Caring for Your Aging Parents
In just 6 weeks, Mom went from an active working woman in her early sixties, taking care of Dad, to a bed-ridden stroke survivor with diabetes and vision loss. The months following this sudden change were stressful for the whole family as we all grappled with this new reality while also grieving Dad’s passing. As […]
The Unpredictable Lightness of Eating Out Alone: A Short Story
There’s two things you can do. Eat out with friends. Or don’t eat out at all. That’s what Dee had said. Lana would add a third. Eat out alone. Lana loved eating out. By herself. With a book. It was one of her favorite things. This was a treat. She was at McDonald’s using her […]
Nonfiction Book Review: AdaptAbility: How to Survive Change You Didn’t Ask For
In the spring of 2011, after Dad had passed and we’d decided to move to Florida, I found the book, AdaptAbility: How to Survive Change You Didn’t Ask For by M.J. Ryan, at a bookstore’s closing sale. We were in the process of moving – our lives in transition as my spouse had already started […]
Nonfiction Book Review: The Orphaned Adult by Alexander Levy
Mom’s death released a flood of emotions in me. After those first few weeks of activity – planning the memorial, packing up her apartment before the deadline, making “those” decisions – I was kind of worried the reality wouldn’t sink in. I continued to imagine her a few counties over in her apartment, still three […]
Cocoon: A Papoose of Thoughts
I lounge in a papoose of thoughts and theories, memories and plans. Clock ticking the seconds, I traverse a foggy trance, Bing-ing each book title or bubble idea that floats into my mind or materializes before my eyes on page and screen and journal. To write, to muse, perchance to dream, I knit story and […]