Once upon a time I used to make fun of the Sunday circulars for craft stores that screamed “75 Crafting Days until Christmas!” (And once upon a time I used to get and look at Sunday circulars. Now you know how old I am.) But now I actually like making things for Christmas — not […]
Now what?
September 10, 2012 by
Both of my boys are now school kids. The first day of school was marked with the requisite excitement, photos, and hugs (Owen’s from very “far away from school, Mom, sheesh”) and Noah’s at the door of his room (His teacher: “Mom stops right here!”). My kindergartener is thrilled to be a school kid like […]
10 years!
August 14, 2012 by
My husband and I were married 10 years ago this week! If you’re counting, that means we got married pretty young. Not reality-TV-show young, but a year-after-college young. We were one of those couples who found each other in early college and that was that. Us! Finding your husband at 18 is weird. It definitely […]
Gratitude, at Tettegouche State Park
June 27, 2012 by
A couple of weeks ago I joined a couple of friends for a short trip to Tettegouche State Park. When I was 19 I spent a summer at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center taking some classes for college credit, and spent a lot of time at Tettegouche. It’s a place that has a lot of […]
Father’s Day Gift Guide (and why good ideas are hard to come by)
June 6, 2012 by
I am typically a very good gift-giver. I love the challenge of the perfect gift and more often than not I hit the mark. Aunt Jenny’s gift is often a favorite, and I have a knack for surprising adults with something they had no idea they really wanted. So yeah, I’m good at it, and […]
Survivor in training
May 22, 2012 by
The Minneapolis skyline and Marshall Avenue bridge, from the running path on the St. Paul side of the river. It’s on. I’ve been stress-tested, blood-tested, and pressure-tested. I’ve been examined, reviewed, and notated. Poked, prodded, and medicated. And all the tests and medical professionals have come to the same conclusion: There’s nothing really wrong with […]
Moms: Get over yourself and into the photo
May 17, 2012 by
I hate getting my picture taken. What woman doesn’t? Bad hair, no makeup, big zit, I used to be skinny and now I’m not. I hate these jeans/top/shoes/outfit. I wore my glasses today. I take better pictures than my husband anyway. Sound familiar? What excuses do you use to stay out of the frame and […]
A clean conscience: Why I hire out housecleaning
April 16, 2012 by
Yesterday I spent eight hours cleaning my house and I didn’t even get to the third floor (the finished attic of a 125-year-old foursquare). It’s just as well, though, that’s my older son’s room and at the moment it is carpeted with Legos. I don’t really want to follow through on my threat to vacuum […]