From the Hip

 Winter is coming. If you live in the midwest, you know: winter is coming. And after the summer of Covid, the cold long nights that are awaiting us seems like a dreary forecast. I grew up in sunny Southern California and move to the Mitten State when I was in high school. I've lived in Michigan for over 28 years and I still resist the winter months. It's hard to get outside when it's cold. On top of that, kids add another layer of planning that has to take place when we want to be outside of the house. I was talking with two gal pals both have a newborn + other little ones. We were exploring this issue: How do I get my little kids outside in the cold while managing the effort it takes so that I can enjoy the experience?"   If you have little ones under let's say under 6 years old, it can be hard to bring them along with the idea of "walking in nature." Yet we know based on research, being in nature is an important part of all around health. In the early S...

It's strange to sit and writing. Months have passed since I wrote words down and now as I sit on my sunny front porch on the cusp of August, I wonder where time has gone. Part of my summer is a blur with endless days of backyard gardening; trips to the beach; hikes in the woods; long morning of sleeping in and late nights of wine. In May we waded through school work and watched the tulips bloom and fase. In June, the girls and I logged over 150 miles on the bikes. July I was able to enjoy Cousin's Month with my Cousin/Sister/Mom and fellow reading buddy, Sarah. Flowers bloomed and pages were turned. Sprinklers ran and boats sailed by. It's been a sweet and bitter time. Some of my regular summer plans were canceled. Some were forgotten. New things grew in their place. Reading stayed the same. #Unreadshelfproject2020 update In January the inventory is as follows: 14 Kindle Books 11 Audio Books 125 hard/soft covered books July 31, mid year inventory is as follows:...

One of most favorite human celebrates another year.  this is for her -alh there are so many thin gs to say. and yet I want to reduce what i'm feeling to one word.  a mug hot coffee your smile walking you to the building door talking about a good read or a good song or a bike ride or an idea  a glass of wine or a cold beer. did you read this book or that book? this blog or that. who wrote that song? i love that place,  what about this one?  talk to you for hours about nothing  and something the summer sunset in my backyard the kitchen table where does the time go?   can we do this again? 

I blinked. 30 days passed. I have not left the zip code in over 48 days. I took a break from reading without realizing I was taking a break from reading. My eyes feel blurry. My short term vision seems hazy. I don't want to go anywhere. I want to be with my girls in the house: sheltering. And watching TV. If only we had an unwatched shelf project to write about. I'm almost finished with Brave New World . And it making me think things. Somethings changed: I lost my commute time; I have a backlog of podcasts and audible books. I have been watching Facebook live feeds of authors: Viola Shipman, Nancy Thayer, Jason Reynolds, and Jack Ridl. They talk about the process, and the writing and the work of writing. And it feels like the ideas are floating in my head. I started a mini journal again. I carry it around with me and I put words it. I've been taking advantage of free youth audible listening. We spent some time chipping away at Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. Some...

Easter is my jam.  For the past 15 years, I've hosted a traditional Easter dinner after celebrating 40 days of Lent. It's the best of all the holidays: Fat Tuesday gluttony on one end. Chocolate bunnies and jelly beans on the other. It's my Spring Equinox. The day I say goodbye to winter and hello to the rebirth of green.  History of the event: A gal pal and I adopted an idea from a Huge Heffner thing during the height of the Girls Next Door reality show. There was a punch and we adopted the recipe. I had just bought the Thomas cottage and was looking for traditions to celebrate friendship.  In my experience, Easter is the friend's holiday. Since it's on a Sunday, people are less likely to have "family obligations." Peeptini was born.  Traditional dinner: Ham, crockpot scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, potato buns and the precious punch: Peeptini. It's family style. Everyone seated at the table with place cards  Som...

It's been hard to read the past 18 days. There is something about the stillness that caused a new feeling deep in my guts...a instinctive feeling that reminded me we are not at peace. So, I was cleaning my basement. And I found another box of books. Some are from my early 20's like Real Boys by Pollack and 100 Most Influential Women of All Time by Felder. A copy of The Tempest by Shakespeare which was given to me by my high school Humanities teacher and a copy of Stories and Stones by Ellis in which I am mentioned as part of the dedication. There was a set of Funk and Wagnalls New International Dictionary of the English Language . Signed copies of My Sister's Keeper by Picoult, Cage of Stars by Michard and Ellen Foster by Gibbons. My grandfather's Smoke from This Altar by Lamour was in there and 5 Love Languages from Chapman too. There was a first edition (1970) of Our Bodies, Ourselves by Norsigian. There was a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabrie...