I used to keep a lot of stuff. Boxes and boxes of stuff. Then I began culling, donating, sharing stuff with friends. I still have boxes of stuff, sentimental things from childhood, items from our wedding, special outfits from when the kids were babies. The usual stuff. But I also had boxes of stuff from…
Mark, I can’t believe you have been gone 10 years. How has an entire decade passed? You didn’t get to experience much of it, but I firmly believe the second you become a parent you hit a time warp. It’s the only way to explain how fast the time has gone. Mark, you would be…
Cinnamon brooms in the grocery store are how I know it’s time. The smell hits me like a wall every year. It’s so strong and it’s supposed to be pleasant, but it’s not, not any more. It used to be, I used to be excited when the cinnamon brooms were in the grocery store because…
I’m coming back. I’m working my way back from a wicked case of sad. It was the worst since just after Mark died. You can always tell when I’m feeling bad because I don’t write here. I have fun stuff to share, fun little projects I’ve done, a baby shower post, a book review, fun…
For many years, November has been hard for me. This year, though, I made a huge effort to stay ahead of the sad and concentrate on being really thankful for what I have and who I am. For the most part, I succeeded. There were definitely hard parts to the month, and I’m still coming…
When I am rich, I will… have a housekeeper, buy hardcover books, volunteer at the kids’ schools, get manicures and pedicures every two weeks, go back to school, own a house with a small yard, go on vacation, have a craft room, have a swimming pool, become a librarian, have another baby, get a big…
“Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.†~ Theodore Seuss Geisel I found that quote months ago; it hit me hard and I haven’t been able to shake it. I’ve been thinking of it constantly for 6 months. There has been a hard question hanging over me for a long time. Almost…
I am cross-posting this entry from my new friend, Greta’s, blog. Greta has created a wonderful blog series of guest posts called Great Expectations. You should go read them, the women who have posted are fascinating and so very diverse. I was honored when Greta asked me to contribute, and the following post was published…
My amazing friend Robin recently ran with the Widow version of “S%*t People Say” meme. She put a call out to her widow friends to gather the (mostly) well-meaning things that people say to widows and came up with this hysterical (maybe just to widows?) video: I heard most, if not all, of these and…
Several months ago, when I was dropping the kids off at my Grandmother’s house, my attention was caught by a story on the TODAY show. The story was about a person who had woken from a coma. I tend to notice all of those stories, but then this had the phrase I hate. The patient woke up when,…
I really love the Fall. It was always one of my favorite times of the year growing up. The temperatures were cooling down, basketball season was gearing up, and you had Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas packed close together. But, every Autumn since Mark died has been really hard. I’ve written about it before, so I…
I either love Columbus Day or I hate it. I hate it because it was the last day that Mark was home. The Tuesday after Columbus Day he went into the second hospital and never came back. I was off of work for Columbus Day and together with Mark’s parents we decided that it would be…