It was the night before Xmas, and somewhere around here
I sat alone with a drink, you know, holiday cheer.
A Visit from St. Covid?
Three Things I’ve Realized During the Covid-19 Pandemic
In short, we need to take care of each other . . . . Sometimes it feels as if, when we can’t do the things we normally do for ourselves or others, we shouldn’t do anything at all. But these days, a text or a phone call can go a really long way. So don’t wait.
Five Steps to Escape Catastrophe Island
Here’s the thing, Mom. You’ve been living on catastrophe island. But it’s uninhabitable. It’s not conducive to life. It’s time for you to get off the island.
My Son Is in Jail During the Pandemic
For any parent who loves an adult child who has ever been incarcerated, I’m writing this for you. For anyone whose adult child experiences mental illness and addiction. For anyone who has […]
My Last Bikini
Once upon a time I was a new mother. It was before body positivity, before athletes and models came in all shapes and sizes (though I admit we still have a long […]
Social Distancing and Swiping Right
I picked a hell of a time to start dating again. Ending a nearly seven-year relationship with my former partner, Alex, was hard enough, as was the discussion of whether or not […]
To Mask, or Not to Mask?
This made me wonder if, at some point, we’re going to become a society of “the masked vs. the unmasked.” If so, how will we be viewed? Will the masked be applauded? Ostracized? And will the opposite happen to the unmasked? Which way is society going to go?
Ice Storm Quarantine
Nearly every spring when I was a kid in the 1970s, growing up on a horse farm in rural central Illinois, we had ice storms. Often they came in the late afternoon, […]
You’re Invited! Welcome to My Coronavirus Party
My neighborhood isn’t as pretty as the sinuous, color-coordinated, HOA-governed neighborhoods. Our streets are pot-holed, sidewalks abruptly end without apology, and some front yards have become gravel parking lots for boats and […]
Lessons from Nana
In 1918, my great-grandmother, Frances Pengelski, was married with two babies under two years old, living in relative poverty in Brooklyn. I was fortunate to know my nana well. The year I […]
