I'm going to say something very unpopular here. Prepare for a get-off-mah-lawn rant...I'm tired of kids with cell phones. I'm tired of seeing kids with their fingers pushing buttons or their faces in a screen all the time. I'm tired of the lack of eye contact and reliance on a … [Read more...] about Eyes Up, Phones Down
Come to North Carolina
If North Carolina had a state vehicle, it would be a hand basket. And we're on the highway to hell. North Carolina has been in the national spotlight plenty of times, and I'm not talking about basketball. We have a GOP-run legislature emboldened by its Pope and Koch ties. They … [Read more...] about Come to North Carolina
Writing Prompts for Family Travel Abroad
There's a tin sign perched over a door frame in my family room. It reads "Home -- Where your story begins." I'm heading home, in a sense, though I'll be a stranger in my homeland. We are about to embark on an epic journey. Unlike kids these days, I don't use the word epic … [Read more...] about Writing Prompts for Family Travel Abroad
Goodbye to a Life Too Short, Yet Very Sweet
She griggled when I met her. That's a grin + a giggle. She pointed to her foot and said, "Shoe." I knew I liked this kid. She was two. She was awaiting a bone marrow transplant. I spent ten years volunteering with pediatric bone marrow transplant patients. They gave me more … [Read more...] about Goodbye to a Life Too Short, Yet Very Sweet
Sloe Gin Fizz – 5:00 Fridays TM
Ours is a friendship of firsts. First... Crush Car School dance Broken curfew Car accident Date Fashion disaster All-nighter Boyfriend Period Taste of liquor F Heartbreak Job She knew me back when my parents were married. She's known me by three different … [Read more...] about Sloe Gin Fizz – 5:00 Fridays TM
Peacemaker – 5:00 Fridays TM
I'm certain neither the song nor the sentiment "Let There Be Peace On Earth and Let It Begin With Me" has nothing to do with beer. The song's sheet music includes this story: "One summer evening in 1955, a group of 180 teenagers of all races and religions, meeting at a … [Read more...] about Peacemaker – 5:00 Fridays TM
Be Someone’s Safe Person
"Mommy, even though it's a different time now than when you were a kid, I don't think kids today would say if they are gay." And so began one of our typical car pool conversations. Mac Daddy and I have always been candid with our children. We talk about myriad … [Read more...] about Be Someone’s Safe Person