The Three Rules of Mountaineering It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks. – Author Unknown Fifty years of life is like is a lot like mountaineering. There are the days when you feel like you are on top of the world, and others […]
Family
Oh my, Oh my, Oh–Dada
Dada for hugging. And Dada for hiding. Dada for jumping. And Dada for lying. Dada for running. And Dada for tears. Dada who’s wearing fuzzy yak ears. Dada for dressing. And Dada for dining. Dada for super upside-down flying. Dada for excitement. And Dada for giggles. Dada for holding you still while you wiggle. Dada […]
Maggie, the cat, celebrates her 19th
There is no such thing as an ordinary cat. ~Collette Yes, this is a post about my cat. But hey, it’s her 19th birthday which, from what I’ve read, is the equivalent of 93 human years. Any living soul, man or beast, who can claim that much life on earth, deserves special recognition in my […]
The Commune of Motherhood
During the years when I longed to be a mama, but wasn’t, I felt like an outsider to a secret society: The Commune of Motherhood. I sat–metaphorically–on the sidelines at my neighborhood ‘Moms Night Out’ and ‘Mamas with Cameras‘, a monthly meet-up. I consciously chose to participate in both of these groups, despite my mama-wanna-be […]
Our family turns 2!
March 22, 2012 Gyumri, Armenia Snow and ice covered the ground and temperatures hovered near zero. We spent the morning trying to distract our minds from the wait, the wait to find out if the judge would grant us permission to adopt one tiny 11-month-old baby girl. Our driver took us to see Mother Armenia. […]
An Orphan’s Thanksgiving
For many years I spent Thanksgiving solo. After I graduated from high school, I left home, went to college, and then moved 3,000 miles away from my family. I spent many-a-Thanksgiving as an “orphan,” wandering from household to household. Here are a few glimpses from some of my more memorable orphan Thanksgivings: “Kentucky-themed” Thanksgiving: Suffice […]
The Magic Cabinet
The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. ~W.B. Yeats Each Tuesday, Baby Bird and I have a standing appointment with Miss. K. Miss K. helps us overcome challenges Baby Bird has faced after spending the first year of her life in an orphanage. We park our car […]
Dishes for a song
Back in May 2007, when Big Papa and I moved my dad from Florida to Seattle, we had to make decisions about his belongings–what to jettison and what to keep and ship west. One of the keepers was a set of dishes. Not because we needed any more dishes—anyone who has been to our […]
Soergel Orchards and Country Store in Wexford, PA
When Big Papa was a little boy, he would go with his family to Soergel’s roadside stand for fresh-picked fruits and vegetables. On several of our trips to visit his family in the Pittsburgh area, we’ve stopped at Soergel’s, even though its days of being a small roadside stand have long passed. Soergel’s is over […]
Little Miss Firecracker
Baby, you’re a firework Come on let your colors burst Make them go, “Oh, oh, oh” You’re gonna leave before they know Boom, boom, boom Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon Boom, boom, boom Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon ~Katy Perry, Firework