growing up

Stand Alone

Prompt: 5 minutes "Stand Alone" Stand Alone Stand alone. On your own two feet. See what you can do without any others to stop you, to help you, to harm you, to interfere, to suggest other ways. What does your heart say? What is your heart saying to you?  Stand alone. You already do stand

Stand Alone2025-08-12T09:28:37-04:00

Nana’s 79th Birthday

October 26, 2014 I had an insight this morning: Mom “reaching out” from her 79-year-old vantage point, longing to share, impart, connect with the subsequent generations of her family. We roll our eyes, take in some things, but hurriedly, slightly irritated at the incessantness of it all. Some stories some of us have heard a

Nana’s 79th Birthday2025-08-12T12:17:52-04:00

Six Weeks

In six weeks, I’ll be a grandmother, and I don’t really know what to think about that. Everyone says, “Congratulations! It’s so much fun being a grandmother! Bet you can’t wait to get your hands on that baby!” I do love babies. I consider “the nurturing mother” my strongest archetype. Yet for some reason, the

Six Weeks2025-08-12T12:34:18-04:00

Gratitude

November, being the month of Thanksgiving and all, inspires many folks to record a list of things for which they are grateful. Also, November is the lead-in to Advent, when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the ultimate gift for those of the Christian faith, which tends to also turn our hearts outward toward thinking

Gratitude2013-11-03T11:12:47-05:00

Fingernail Moons

My kids used to call crescent moons “fingernail moons.” When I see those luminous, thin, curved lines gleaming in a dark night sky, I smile, remembering Caroline’s delight at this original analogy. Back then, I was slim and had nice legs. Back then my bum was perky despite two pregnancies. Back then I wore short

Fingernail Moons2013-09-21T15:12:47-04:00

FYI (if you’re a teenage girl)

I'm "Pressing" this, meaning I did not write this post, but I do think it is interesting reading, especially for parents of teenagers. Those years can be rough - for parents of both teenage sons AND daughters. My heart goes out to all of you, including those teenagers trying desperately to figure out who they

FYI (if you’re a teenage girl)2013-09-03T21:35:18-04:00

“Supposed To”

July 9, 2013 Prompt: 15 minutes: “supposed to” Supposed To She was supposed to get a lot accomplished today, piles of vacation mail littering the kitchen counter, dirty clothes on the laundry room floor, wilting calla lily plants screaming for water from their old pots, long leaves drooping. She turns the pots occasionally, angling them

“Supposed To”2013-07-30T23:52:08-04:00

“Shatter”

July 8, 2013 Prompt: 15 min “Shatter” Shatter Shatter. Shatter the glass ceiling, we women were offered, encouraged to do when we were mere girls living in a man’s world. The 1960’s, ’70’s, a time when, every now and then, a brave soul would rise up to shatter the glass ceiling previously owned, dominated by

“Shatter”2013-07-22T02:16:48-04:00

“Older”

Prompt: 40 minutes: “Older” June 17, 2013 Older Older is a loaded word, a plant growing out of its pot, roots bound together in a clump of experience seeking desperately fresh soil, nutrients, water -- that life-giving, liquid oxygen. Older is not for sissies. No, it takes a bit of bravery, or at least the

“Older”2013-07-06T17:50:36-04:00