Back in the Saddle, Again – my weight loss journey, June 18, 2014

Well, friends, this is going to be short and sweet :0) Honest Confession: The last few months, I've found it difficult to focus on my goals. Illness, the loss of my mother, grief, random stress and busy-ness have all jumbled together into a whirlwind that has been disorienting and exhausting. But now, I feel as...

Identifying your Memoir Audience

One of the first things you learn in a writing class is the importance of identifying your audience. Who are your readers, and why will they want to read your work? What are you hoping for them to take away from your project, and how will you craft your message to meet their needs? Some...

The Making of a Memoir

As some of you may know, I've been working on a memoir for the last 2 years or so. While I've wanted to be a writer since I was 5 or 6 years old, I never intended to write a memoir. I thought they were reserved for celebrities or renowned movers and shakers -- great...

My weight loss journey, May 16, 2014

So, this is me, like 100 pounds ago. I was a size 4 or 6 in this picture. Cute, huh? 🙂 At that time, I sure didn't think I was cute. My then husband and I were about to file for divorce. He was leaving me for his girlfriend who, in his words, wasn't as...

The Language of Motherhood

My earliest memory of my mother is of her hands. Strong, soft and sure, one holding me fast by the arm while the other sudsed me up with a soft cotton washcloth. I was sitting in the kitchen sink. It was stainless steel, cramped, and cold against my back, even though it was summer. But...

The Perks of Persistence

My five-year-old son is a Skylanders rock star. We bought him the system when he was 4, even though it's recommended for ages 6 and up. I was skeptical. My husband was hopeful. My son was ecstatic. In a single Saturday, he had mastered the controller, XP'd multiple levels-up, and knew his characters' full bios...

Where are you looking?

Some of the most meaningful conversations between my son and I take place while I'm tucking him in at bedtime. Several weeks ago, he was having a hard time being quiet during nap time at school. One night after a few days of being "clipped down" in class for giggling with his nap-time neighbors, I...

The Journey, February 26, 2014, I gave up diet soda!

Sugar by any other name... just isn't sugar. So, 6 days ago I decided it was time to give up diet soda. Brilliant, right? I wasn't really happy with my decision. It was more of a deep-seated recognition that I needed to do something different. I needed to drink something different. Like, something that didn't...

Irreplaceable

One of my favorite quotes is credited to renowned 19th century playwright Oscar Wilde. He advised, "Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken." My first husband had a saying, too. A bit more Poe than Wilde, his words were the cautionary, "You can be replaced." The glorious truth? I am many things, but replaceable I...

Worthy; recovering from emotional abuse, January 10, 2014

Most of us step into marriage with the greatest expectations of a lifetime spent loving and being loved. Sure, we'll have our ups and downs, just like everyone else, but we'll work through whatever comes our way, together, because that's what people who love each other do, right? I married my second boyfriend. Throughout high...