It was a regular Thursday night. My youngest and I were boxing up beloved toys that she hadn’t touched in months. We were creating spaces for new projects sorely needed now that so much of our lives centered around home. Out of nowhere, my stomach began hurting. I felt hot and tingly. The thermometer confirmedContinue reading “Our Kids Are Growing Up Faster in This, Our New World”
Tag Archives: writing
Welcome to Nourishing Stories
Nourishing Stories is my monthly email newsletter. It’s not a run-down of headlines or a list of items to buy, but a few minutes spent pondering the big questions, savoring some good writing and feeling inspired by delicious seasonal recipes. I’ve dabbled in a few newsletter formats over the years, but last February I stirredContinue reading “Welcome to Nourishing Stories”
Everyday Essays
Though I have written as a journalist for 30 years and dabbled in fiction and poetry off and on, I’ve only turned my attention to the craft of personal essays in the last few years. Below, find a collection of my essays, some published in magazines, on radio, and in online outlets, others created forContinue reading “Everyday Essays”
Losing the Need to Win
I can easily recall the disappointment on my sweet son’s face. We were perched, him and me, at a game table by the window at a state park in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. It was a rainy day and our plans of wandering and fishing had been shifted to play and snacks inside the visitor’sContinue reading “Losing the Need to Win”
Finding My Path
Six years ago next month, my first newspaper feature in more than a decade was printed in The Roanoke Times. That story marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life, one where I would attempt to add a career in writing to the swirl of raising three kids and eating local food and volunteering in my community.Continue reading “Finding My Path”
February 2020 Newsletter
Finding My Path Six years ago next month, my first newspaper feature in more than a decade was printed in The Roanoke Times. That story marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life, one where I would attempt to add a career in writing to the swirl of raising three kids and eating local food and volunteeringContinue reading “February 2020 Newsletter”
Celebrations
Thursday is Thanksgiving — a time to gather with family and friends, a day to indulge and relax. It’s an occasion to count our blessings and to spend time romping in the chilly sunshine and lounging in front of televised parades. It’s also the only holiday I can think of that isContinue reading “Celebrations”
Eating My Way Through Virginia’s Wine Country
For four days I lived someone else’s life. I drove along country lanes connecting horse farms and wineries and estates, and ate multi-course breakfasts, lunches and dinners cooked by celebrated chefs often working just a few feet away from where I dined. I stayed at resorts and in manor housesContinue reading “Eating My Way Through Virginia’s Wine Country”
Errands by Bike
My husband is an avid bicycle commuter. Two feet of snow. Twenty-mile-an-hour winds. Torrential downpour. No matter. Heʼs out there. Every day he goes to work, he goes on his bike. His resolve has inspired all of us. My nine-year-old son bikes to school with his dad (itʼs on the way to work). And lastContinue reading “Errands by Bike”
Lost and Found
What a close call. Recently, a dream of ours, my husband’s and mine, nearly came true. Yet the closer it came to being, the more I realized how much I didn’t want it. In fact, in losing what I thought I wanted, I found something I didn’t know I was missing. I discovered what itContinue reading “Lost and Found”