While the world at large is fist-fighting over toilet paper and going to the store wearing garbage bags over their heads with the eyes cut out … Veruca was pissed as all get-out that a) I wouldn’t let her go to bestie’s Quinciñera practice, and b) I kept her home from school on Friday. The … Continue reading Minute By Minute, Hour By Hour
Life
Life As It Becomes More
The holidays when you’re 50 are much different than the holidays when you’re, let’s say, 30. I’ve had years in between where my enthusiasm ebbed and flowed. This year I was eager to get the Christmas tree and Veruca was equally excited. The two of us drove to the tree farm and there were about … Continue reading Life As It Becomes More
Drinking and Dreams
I woke up this morning from a series of bizarre dreams I’ll attribute to the chemical interaction between my medication and Goose Island IPA. About a month ago, I stopped drinking (mostly) and returned to healthier lifestyle habits. Spoiler: alcohol makes you gain weight and look puffy and inflames the joints. When I stop drinking, … Continue reading Drinking and Dreams
Things That Matter and Other Things
Today is Todd’s 51st birthday. I thought about writing a long post honoring him, but I think after the previous posts (see under “Love” tab above) it would be overkill and these days I’m feeling more private about “us,” which I’m sure makes everyone happier since people do get sick of hearing sappy and gushy … Continue reading Things That Matter and Other Things
Bad Mom
Halloween night. Veruca didn’t want to go out, so she stayed home with me to hand out candy. And then she just watched from the window. V warned me that her friends that live across the way had joked about ringing the door and dashing (these are the same 3 boys that raided my … Continue reading Bad Mom
College Boy, High School Girl
It’s been 35 days, or 5 weeks. It already seems like forever. He checks in regularly – at least insofar as I hear from him every few days but not in a predictable way. He has an on-campus job in, of all things, GROUNDS KEEPING. This is the same kid who mowed the lawn here … Continue reading College Boy, High School Girl
18 and Life
I did a thing. I packed my 18-year-old up – the sum of his most important belongings stacked in the back of Todd’s Explorer – and together with my husband and daughter drove him to college. It’s been a long road to get here, a road I have long known was coming … some day. … Continue reading 18 and Life
I’m So Chill
Trigger Warning: Parenting a teenage girl. **Do not read if you are considering having a teenage girl. Veruca reached a milestone this year. She was promoted from middle school last night, and in a few short months will be a high school freshman. I’ve been more or less indifferent to this particular passage, being otherwise … Continue reading I’m So Chill
I Bought An Indoor Plant & Life Goes On
I did. I haven’t had a true indoor plant since I killed the last one in over 7 years. I say “true” because I do occasionally keep a basil plant inside, until summer, unless it dies before I can move it outside. I have one presently, and it’s still alive so – so far so … Continue reading I Bought An Indoor Plant & Life Goes On
Valentine’s Day and 100 Days to Go
I read an article about all the things you should and shouldn’t do when you’re over 40. Exercise every day, but not too much. Don’t eat the junk food that sustained you in your 20s. Your body doesn’t like it. Don’t drink too much. Apparently your body doesn’t like that either. Make sure you get … Continue reading Valentine’s Day and 100 Days to Go
The Tara Chronicles 