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Going Home
We are in northern Michigan for the week. I know it sounds cliche, but the air feels different up here. Maybe I have just been in North Carolina for so long that I do not appreciate the beauty as much as someone who is visiting. But Michigan is my happy place. I was born here, and I still claim it as my home, but in reality, I only lived here for a year or so before my parents moved us all down to the south. We would drive up and visit for a week or two every summer, making our way from relative to relative, trying to see everyone in…
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Letting Go
Adulting is so hard, y’all. It has taken me 40 years to figure out that none of us know what we are doing. We are all just bumping along, hoping that no one else notices that we have no idea of what is going on, faking it until we make it. If we get lucky, we make some good decisions along the way and strike a few gold mines. I am a big believer that a large part of what happens to us in life is luck. Hard work counts for a lot, but I know that I have ended up where I am in large part because I just…
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Rage Gardening
This is not a story about gardening. This is the story of Captain Douche. Please allow me to preface this by saying that I make terrible choices in men. They have historically been so terrible, in fact, that after the twins were born (almost five years ago), I swore off dating. I needed a detox. I no longer trusted any of my decisions. And also, raising twins as a single mom is HARD and who has time for going on dates? Prior to meeting the Captain and subsequently getting knocked up, I went on a series of terrible dates. I was an online serial dater, meaning I was going to…
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Getting Away
It’s 3am at the beach, and I can’t sleep. Sometimes, I wake up at these crazy hours and think, “Well, I guess that’s it for the sleeping now.” It used to be an every night thing, but I have been better about it for the past year or so. But I never sleep well when I’m not at home. I opened my eyes a little while ago and knew I was done. Unlike my house, a hotel leaves little space for wandering around at night, even in this upgraded suite where the girls have a cool bed that pulls down from the wall. I snuck out to the patio to…
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Finding My Place
A month or so ago, one of my favorite podcasts raised the question of which of your ages you would like to remain forever, changing nothing about how things played out. There was much debate on the show, and I have spent a lot of time thinking about it since. Having just celebrated my 40th birthday, there seems to be a lot of reflection going on in my mind. Being the milestone that it is, it seems to be a good age for looking back. I cannot decide if, being 40 now, I am supposed to be older and wiser or still be young and dumb. Maybe I should be…
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On Wednesdays, We Bake
Wednesdays are my favorite day. Even though it is hump day and clearly a detriment for that reason alone, I look forward to Wednesday every single week. Why? Because on Wednesdays, we bake. As her high school career winds down, my daughter is taking a baking class at our local community college. Last year, we attended an event on the campus to get a feel for the various programs that were offered, and Kylie fell in love with the kitchen and the chefs who taught in it. The campus has won awards for their program, and my kiddo was really excited to try culinary. Because COVID has ruined everything, the…
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Little Children
Sometimes I think I am not cut out for this parenting gig at all. I just finished reading Little Children by Tom Perrotta, which I started last week. I watched the movie years ago, and I found a paperback copy of the novel in the little free library at the park at the beginning of this month. It sat on my nightstand for awhile because I wasn’t even sure that I wanted to read it. I haven’t really been into fiction for awhile, but after finally giving it a go, I couldn’t put it down. One of the characters, Sarah, seems to be written in my honor. She seems likable…
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The Date-aholic
I used to be a serial dater. After my divorce over a decade ago, my entire mission in life was to get someone (else) to put a ring on it. For a girl who never envisioned herself being married in the first place, I was suddenly very afraid of being alone. I told a friend of mine today that despite being married (and divorced), I have never been proposed to. My ex-husband unceremoniously asked me marry him in the mall marking lot shortly after we bought an inexpensive engagement ring at the jewelry store. And by “asking me to marry him,” I mean that he handed me the bag that…
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The Bookworm
“Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them.” -Lemony Snicket, Horseradish I always get a little sad when I finish a great book. I recently finished reading the Harry Potter series, and afterwards I needed some time to be in my feelings. Admittedly, this was the third time that I had read these books, but the way everything comes together really gets to me. I listened to the first four books on iBooks in my car since my commute to work was so long and boring, and a part of me felt like I was cheating a little because I wasn’t actually reading. Also, I would catch…
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The Post Where I Cook Something
I have never ever ever wanted to have a cooking blog. In fact, when I find a recipe on Pinterest that I want to try, it irritates me to no end when I have to scroll through multiple paragraphs that describe the story behind the recipe before I can get to the actual recipe. The other thing that drives me nuts is how complicated some of them are. To a degree, I get it; once upon a time, I was a girl who didn’t know a whisk from a ladle. On the other hand, I probably would have learned how to cook a lot faster if I didn’t think that…