Love You (Part 2)

My elderly mother sat across from me at her kitchen table, staring down at the sliced strawberries in her cereal. I noticed she was nervously stirring the milk with her spoon, unsure of what to do next. "I can't eat this," she sighed, "I can't swallow it." Her eyes met mine. A petrified little girl …

Continue reading Love You (Part 2)

Beautiful Child

First breath pierces autumn chill,hazel eyes greet my blue.Strands of hair wound tight around fat fingersmy heart bleeds into yours. Run! Run! Run! scarlet leaves tumble as we dance, gold sparks of memoriesignite our sleeping minds. See the starry night swirl,the fallen acorns scatter and crunch beneath our feet. Feel the edge of timestrip flesh …

Continue reading Beautiful Child

Baby you can’t drive my car

Here's a short list of the few things in life that scare the crap out of me: spiders flying politics my 15-year-old son taking Driver's Ed flying spiders Alas, the time has come. Next week, The Boy Who Can't Be Named Because He'd Die of Embarrassment, will be driving a 4000-pound car down the road. …

Continue reading Baby you can’t drive my car

Oh, Mother!

  I think we all know mothers are strong, wise and beautiful women. The moms in my family were no exception. I bet you also realize moms have little time on their hands most days. Which is why I'm posting a short-n-sweet rerun about motherhood, so we can all kick back and savor our breakfast …

Continue reading Oh, Mother!

And so it begins…

My son turned thirteen last month. Thirteen.  You know, the age their eyes roll back into their heads and molten lava starts shooting out from every orifice. So many, many things changed in an instant. The day after he became a teenager, he announced at breakfast, "Mom, I need to do some chores because I need some money. …

Continue reading And so it begins…

Mom For Hire

The following post I wrote over three years ago and I'm reposting it because I have little time to write lately. In case you're wondering the snow in Maine finally melted so I'm spending every waking moment outside.  Plus I'm tired. So damn tired. Happy Mother's Day! OBJECTIVE            To prove that when you notice the huge 10 …

Continue reading Mom For Hire

Planting the Seeds of Change

"An eye for an eye is just wrong, Mom." My 12-year-old son was explaining his feelings on law and order from thousands of years ago. His homework was to determine if justice involved cutting off a person's hand if he were caught stealing food. "Why is it wrong? Wasn't he wrong to steal?" I asked …

Continue reading Planting the Seeds of Change

La La La, I Can’t Hear You!

Today at breakfast my 11-year-old son informed me he had good news and bad news. Not only was he finally allowed to bring his recorder home from music class but he was going to take his first puberty class at school. I'm still trying to figure out which was the good news. Later that afternoon after he slid …

Continue reading La La La, I Can’t Hear You!

Becoming Mom

I find it incredible how quickly life can change. One minute you're thinking, "I will never have kids and I will never be a mom!" and the next one you're thinking, "How in the hell do I clean baby poop off the ceiling? And off the drapes, the couch, my shirt and my face?" When …

Continue reading Becoming Mom

My Dear, Sweet, Slightly Manipulative Daughter

My daughter is only seven years old, but don't let her age fool you. When Little Miss J wants something, she doesn't simply tell you, that would be too easy. Always a clever girl, she makes little homemade cards to communicate. By adding sweetly scrawled drawings, she lures the reader in so she can really go for the kill. Over the …

Continue reading My Dear, Sweet, Slightly Manipulative Daughter