It’s not a good sign when a season has its own mental disorder, but here we are, entering the dark, cold, abysmal days of post-Daylight Saving Time when Seasonal Affective Disorder destroys all joy. Darkness descends like a roiling thunderstorm in a fantasy novel, erasing all sunshine and leaving us cowering in the cellar. MyContinue reading “Embracing the Darkness (With Mashed Potatoes)”
Tag Archives: Life
Magic is a Superpower
Back in the day, it didn’t take much to be labeled a witch. Did you own a cat? Witch. Did you have a birthmark? Witch. Did you use herbs, wear a cape, know how to read or lure children into your gingerbread-flavored home so you could eat them for dinner? Witch. I’m just saying, theContinue reading “Magic is a Superpower”
Foods That Ruined My Childhood
There was no “gentle parenting” in the ’70s, especially at the dinner table. You either ate what was prepared for you, or you were labeled a sniveling, spoiled brat who didn’t care if children in China starved because you wouldn’t eat your meatloaf. One time, I was forced to stay at the table until I’dContinue reading “Foods That Ruined My Childhood”
Map it Out
Remember maps? Old-fashioned, fold-out paper maps the size of a beach towel? My husband wanted to buy one to navigate our road trip through the Sacramento Valley. I stared at him for 47 seconds before stating, “We have Google Maps.” “It’s not the same thing,” Tom said, sadly. I reminded him I have the orienteeringContinue reading “Map it Out”
A Puppet Regime
It took decades, but Ronald Grump finally found a way to evict the residents of 123 Sesame Street. Grump (played by Joe Pesci) visited the TV show in 1994 with plans to demolish the beloved neighborhood to build Grump Tower. Sesame Street doubled-down in 2005 when a selfish, orange-haired muppet, Donald Grump, tried to hireContinue reading “A Puppet Regime”
“Beep, Beep!”
Remember in the Looney Tunes cartoons when Wil E. Coyote runs off the edge of a cliff and hangs suspended in midair before he realizes there’s no ground beneath his feet? That’s how I feel going into 2025. The holidays offered a jolly buffer between the U.S. presidential election and the official transfer of powerContinue reading ““Beep, Beep!””
Angels from the realms of glory (better have their papers)
Near the twinkling Christmas trees, pine-scented candles and brightly-wrapped packages, most homes in Utah display a Nativity scene. It might be made with Star Wars characters or garden gnomes, but it usually includes wise men, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, and an angel hovering near Baby Jesus. If you have children, the crèche could also includeContinue reading “Angels from the realms of glory (better have their papers)”
Hacking Thanksgiving
Preparing Thanksgiving dinner never gets easier. I always start with lofty culinary goals based on recipes from “The Pioneer Woman” that include truffles and capers but end up scraping scorched gravy into a dish and hoping the turkey won’t give anyone food poisoning. Because of my poor cooking skills, I’m always looking for Thanksgiving hacksContinue reading “Hacking Thanksgiving”
Give Me Some Sugar
Whether I battled the world’s loudest candy wrappers or faced the principal for participating in black market candy sales, Halloween remained my favorite holiday. I still squirrel away my favorite candies and I warn everyone to touch my cache at their peril. As a sugar fiend, Halloween was a High Holy day in my childhood.Continue reading “Give Me Some Sugar”
Dead on My Feet
My dog, Jedi, runs to the closet where her leash hangs. She spins in circles as I take it off the hook and click it on her collar. She bites the leash and pulls because I’m just not moving fast enough. She is so happy to walk the neighborhood and terrorize small animals. Usually, theseContinue reading “Dead on My Feet”
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