I made Mexican Queso tonight for dinner, and you would have thought the circus was coming to town for the great delight I found in every single detail. Or something better than that, since I’m only so-so on the circus. My joy was definitely far greater than the traveling routines of elephants and clowns. The boys […]
Jesus grew up without his biological dad. Joseph married Mary, knowing she was pregnant with a child that was not his own. He knew that the marriage to her was a package deal, that the boy came with the girl. I wonder if he had to learn to love Jesus. I mean, I imagine Jesus […]
Falling in love is a little bit terrifying. And sometimes a lot bit. Remember that story of the morning when Robb died? Remember how the paramedic came into the kitchen, and he said, “Ma’am, are you his wife?” and I said yes, and he said, “We are going to need to tell you he has […]
There’s just so much to us. Legos on the floor. Seatbelts. Spilled Gatorade. Unfinished homework. Incomplete grocery lists. Leftovers for dinner. Missing winter coats. Knots in shoelaces. Piles of Laundry. Arguing. Whining. Clutter. Broken toys. Wayward Nerf bullets. Decisions. Grace. Love. Forgiveness. Laughter. Tears. Wounds. Worries. Healing. And heaps of so much patience. In our […]
“Mom, I just have one question.” He was in the backseat of the car, still consistently the safest place for such fodder. I suspect there is something exponentially safer about hard topics when Mom’s eyes are occupied with the road and other drivers. “Ask me as many as you want, buddy.” “Will you still love […]
It all started with a cup of coffee. He came into Starbucks a few weeks ago. He came in with a friend – a very darling cutie pie of a girl whom I assumed he was dating. I took his order, and he told me what he really wanted more than anything was some almond […]
Dear Very Handsome Man, "Whatchya workin' on?" is really a pretty great opener to a conversation with a writer. Engaged, listening - all the things writers appreciate. That was a very, very good start. And I do love the irony of you asking me to join you for a cup of coffee, since we were in […]
In my ongoing efforts to prove that one can be footloose, fancy-free, and an airline flyer (I admit this is a weird message to want to carry into the world), I am routinely the last passenger to get on a plane. I don’t care where I sit, and I don’t like to be contained before […]
Sometimes love seems easy. Like... it’s easy to love rain… and hawks. And it’s easy to love wild plums… and the moon. But with people, seems like love’s a hard thing to know. It gets all mixed up. I mean, you can love one person in one way and another person in another way, but […]
We had been on several really great dates before I realized he was keeping a secret. Whenever I complimented him on who he is, who we were together, or what I enjoyed about us, he responded with warning phrases like, "Withhold your judgment for now, sweetheart," or "Be careful around me, darlin'. You don't know […]
"I think I understand how love works, Mom. It's like God plants a seed in your heart, and then you invite someone in to take care of your flower garden." ~ Tuck, age 9 It is the stuff that sonnets and love songs are made of, and my third grader just packaged it all into one perfect […]
"Let's talk about what is likely and unlikely," two words that have worked their way into our family dialogue, thanks to the beginning principles of probability in second grade math. "Everybody take a turn. Tyler, you're first." He spins some fettuccine on his fork. "It is likely I will be bored at school tomorrow." "Maybe […]
"What do you feel like you know, on that side of marriage?" On this side of marriage, I do think I know a few things I didn't know before - before I married him, before he died, before I found air to breathe again. I know now that it's harder than you think it's going […]
"Mommy, I think there are some things you shouldn't do before you're married." "You are exactly right, buddy," I say, ready for whatever tell-all questions may come next. He looks me squarely in the eye. I square right back. Bring it, kiddo. Let's talk. "Like sharing the garage code."
Here's a favorite question for those of us who are single: "Why aren't you married yet? I just can't figure it out." Let me tell you the subtext of this question. "Why aren't you married? I mean, you look like you'd be a reasonably desirable person, so why hasn't someone snatched you right up? You […]
Ambien may impair your thinking or reactions. You may still feel sleepy the morning after taking this medicine, especially if you are a woman. Wait until you are fully awake before you drive, operate machinery, pilot an airplane, or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert. Amnesia is common if you do […]
"Tricia, do you miss having sex?" I get this question on occasion, always preceded by, "I hope this isn't too personal, but… do you?" Yes. I do. "It seems like that would be a hard thing to give up." Yes. It is. I've let this topic mull in my mind a bit before I decided […]
Here you go, my friends. I'm happy to share. As long as you don't serve them and thereby distract a man who wants to marry me, we're good. Kapeesh? 1 loaf of frozen bread dough, thawed 1 small can evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed) Handfuls of Sugar Pinches of Cinnamon Frosting of your choice Roll […]
I found this little beauty in my archives, and it just made me want to do something shiny and sparkly like this again. Or at least post this story again. (Which isn't really the same thing. At all.) * * * "I think you should say something to that guy," she whispered. We had […]
