Whenever we misunderstand tone in our family, we say to each other, “Say it like Pepper”. It means, “reframe my tone and imagine it differently”. So how many times does this apply to other experiences in a family? We are tied together for eternity, but we register and process love, forgiveness, joy, and loss so…

Beluga “Despereaux” Hamster crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Monday, May 22nd, 2017. Born in March of 2017, his short life was marked with both tragedy and triumph. He was the youngest of 3 brothers, and stated that his adoption day was the happiest day of his life, speaking to the innocence of the time period…albeit…

About a thousand summers ago (or 9, if you are math-y), I quit my job. It was late May, and the warm, wet Indiana summer stretching before us seemed endless, just full of possibility. I was going to molt into an amalgam of Carol Brady/Betty Crocker/Farmer Ted, rising into a superpower by fall harvest. Heck,…

[James Jean, but for the life of me I cannot recall nor locate the name of this piece. It’s one of my top-5 favorite pieces of art, but oddly, I find most of his work disturbing (personal opinion only).] When my ophthalmic artery stroked to darkness in the Fall of 1986, my vision became a…

While I haven’t been posting what I’m cooking, I HAVE BEEN COOKING. Per my usual, I struggle to repeat recipes more than a few times (if that). It makes me sad, because sometimes I’ll run across something I made long ago, and think, “That was delicious! Why didn’t that enter the rotation?” Answer: Because there…

  1998? Somewhere near Coatue Beach, Nantucket. Every time I say the word “Nantucket”, my family screams, “UGH! NO MORE!!! Stop with the NANTUCKET!” After all, we live in a Nantucket-inspired cottage I begged us to build. I covered the front of it in climbing rose bushes. It’s possible there is something “Nantuckety” in every…

  I spent last week at the beach with my family, searching for a little “closer to fine”. I found it. It’s possible I have a unique viewpoint when it comes to the interplay between traditional and alternative medicine. Having been raised by parents fully devoted to these often opposing camps, I was raised at…

DUDES! 2017 is not AT ALL what I had planned. First THIS happened. And then THIS happened. And NOW THIS HAPPENED: We’ve spent 6 weeks trying to find a more suitable home for our beloved Penny. Penny is my little all-day shadow, and perhaps I was slow to admit it was due to her anxiety.…

  OK gang, we’re about to get our hippy-dippy on. Hip-to-the-dip. As in, if you’re not comfortable talking about your spirit/soul/inner-being, walk away. Or to quote 2 year old Sara talking to her infant sister who was trying to attack our cat, “Walk ee-way Kel-Kel. Walk ee-way.” Long story short: I went temporarily blind at…

Kelly’s Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. The 9 year old shooed me away from this cake all day. “Mommy! Stop trying to help! I have a PLAN!” (Thanksgiving) Outside of building my family, I am most proud of being a part of a thriving community. I’m the kind of gal who rarely lets…