Before COVID and the shutdown of the world, I was happier being at home versus big social gatherings. It took my patient husband (and a lot of effort) to get me out of my comfort zone. I am kind of a weird introvert because when I feel comfortable in social situations, I am Chatty Kathy. … Continue reading Being social again →

Books have been super helpful in different ways throughout my adulthood. Just Mercy inspired me to become a Guardian ad Litem. A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog Named Trixie inspired me to write and publish a book about my dog Smooch. There were two books helped me process the unexpected death … Continue reading Book therapy →

Last summer was the first time we were not at Wrightsville beach for Father's Day since the kids were toddlers. It is the husband's happy place, so we were super excited to get back there this summer. Since Appa is at doggie reform school, we decided to grab Bailey's Emotional Support Animal (ESA) ID and … Continue reading When the beach gives you lemons →

The fledge has started at our house, and I have mixed feelings about it. For now it is baby steps, but it is definitely happening. Last week I traded in my gas guzzling SUV because I no longer needed a giant car to transport kiddos. My oldest has been driving for almost 2 years now, … Continue reading The start of the fledge →

Yesterday I shared my daughter's first day of work. You might wonder why I would share something like that. I did because 1) I was proud of her for getting not one, but two jobs completely on her own 2) she signed up for a double shift her first day and 3) she started working … Continue reading The Firsts I’m allowed to document →

I feel like I write this blog post every year. I love my little family, and they love me every day, not just on Mother's Day. But every year for the past 6 years, Mother's Day means the Wednesday after Mother's Day is near. That is the day I watched my mom die in the … Continue reading When Mother’s Day is hard →

Slowly our world is opening back up. Well, for our pandemic puppies, it is actually opening up for the first time. They have been going to doggie school twice a week for a month now. Appa D has been content to sit by the playground gate and just watch the other dogs play. Apparently this … Continue reading Getting back out there →

Last weekend I was in a major funk. I just could not shake it. Normally I can exercise, do some self-talk, dig in the dirt, and I can reset. But not this time. I was bored, sad, anxious all rolled into one. And last week a friend's dad died from COVID. An extra F--k you … Continue reading A tiny bit hopeful →

Last night I used our salad greens from one of our hydroponic gardens to make a taco salad. I usually make it vegetarian style like I used to get at Elmo's, but the husband asked me to kick it up a notch, so I added some ground turkey, rice, salsa, jalapenos and whole grain chips. … Continue reading Memories from Elmo’s →

My running buddy and I stopped our Sunday run/walks that we termed our church last March. This was especially hard because we had attended our church since our 17 yr olds were in Kindergarten. We now connect once or twice a week over the phone for virtual happy hour and/or teletherapy. I shared this week … Continue reading The Groundhog Year →