Things that I, an expert, can tell you about marriage: Marriage is super wonderful. Marriage is incredibly, stupidly hard. (But it’s mostly wonderful.) (Except when it’s mostly hard.) Two thirds of all marital fights stem from at least one party leaving a household item in the incorrect location. Eight thirds of them involve a spouse “acting weird” about something. The phrase “just tell me what’s wrong because I don’t want to start a fight” invariably leads to a fight. Ways {Read More}
Big Feelings. (AKA, It’s a cold, rainy day.)
March 1, 2018 By 1 Comment
Today is a day of big feelings. Like, really big feelings. And horrid weather. (Related? Probably.) Today is March 1st, and in three days it’ll be March 4th, and I am trying- I am so trying- to march forth. (Hopefully three days lead time will be enough. I may need to stretch.) *** Happy birthday, Rog. I just heard on the radio that today is Roger Daltrey’s birthday (happy birthday!) and so, in his honor, they weren’t going to play {Read More}
A metaphor. (And trying really hard.)
February 22, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Can we talk metaphors for a second? This week has been a big ol’ metaphor and, as everybody knows, February is the metaphor of the calendar year, and I’m fairly sure you’re asking yourself right about now if this gal is even secure on the definition of “metaphor.” Stick with me, here. So, the other day, I needed to return some library books for the fam. About 20 of them. It was torrentially raining and I wasn’t much feeling like {Read More}
Cold & flu & terror & the apocalypse
February 8, 2018 By Leave a Comment
I’m terrified of cold and flu season. …But I’m not terrified of colds and the flu for the reasons you might expect. (Unexpected Illness Terror: a book of contemplative poetry by Keely Flynn, coming soon.) I mean, there’s plenty to be afraid of. Kids throwing up is gross. Body aches and sinus pain make you regret life choices, like choosing to have a life where you catch the flu. And, at least in this news cycle, this is the worst {Read More}
An open letter to the man who screamed at me (this time).
February 1, 2018 By Leave a Comment
(Edited to add: This all went down last Thursday, and I gave myself a week to see if that would elicit a gentler, more forgiving response to the man in question. It didn’t.) *** Dear Sir, Not half an hour ago, you shouted at me with rage in your voice and disgust in your eyes. You- you– stepped in front of my (stopped!) van at the edge of my alley, steps from my garage. “Honk your EFFING* HORN.” (*You did not say “effing.”) {Read More}
Today. (Is Hard.)
January 25, 2018 By 1 Comment
Today. Today is a day where I want to keep the blankets firmly (and warmly) over my head. Today also happens to be a day where that most likely will not happen. Today is a day where I had intended to write a sweetly sentimental piece about toddlerhood, and how hard it is- because, ohmygoodness, it is SO HARD- and for every moment that folks implore you to not blink n’ miss it, you have another moment where you’d sell {Read More}
Being present (and ditching the phone again)
January 18, 2018 By Leave a Comment
Sometimes the universe helps me to be more present with my children. Sometimes it manifests in the form of things I’ve already signed on to do. Like, volunteering in my youngest’s preschool. Now, we go to a co-op for many reasons; it’s a wonderful family environment, my closest friends are in that community, it’s ridic cheap… But part n’ parcel with that lower cost comes the expectation that families will volunteer at least once a month. For the whole class. {Read More}
Phone addictions and you. (But mostly me.)
January 11, 2018 By Leave a Comment
I have a confession about my phone. I am one thousand percent addicted to my phone. And not in a cutesy, “shopping is my LIFE” way. No. I am unable to function without my iPhone. I’ve recently had a chance to find out how [sadly] true this is. You know how everyone’s buzzing about Apple intentionally throttling their “older” models of phone? (And we’re talking 6S, people, not the iPhone 2 from 2007. I got my 6S late in 2016. It {Read More}
