exploring life and love with pictures and words
Rushing into the train my sister leads the way climbing the stairs to the dining car. Six of us quickly spread out, laying purses and backpacks on the seats to save places for friends who will be joining us as we travel south to Del Mar. Behaving like teenagers, we glance at one another, sending... Continue Reading →
My mom and I sit on her living room sofa. My son lay on a rug near our feet, first on his side and then rolling onto his back. He looks up at the ceiling with tears in his eyes, his voice cracks as he asks, When will my dad live in our house again?... Continue Reading →
I am in avoidance mode. I need to write, but am feeling reluctant, unsure as I ponder topics. This typically happens when there is something percolating deep in my noggin and my heart isn’t ready to visit that truth. I have cleaned toilets, vacuumed, laundered, fluffed and folded, even hung a painting my sister gave... Continue Reading →
Gazing down at her fidgeting hands, slowly she speaks, deliberate with her words, she shares her story; a lifetime of being good, being perfect, first as a young girl in an abusive, alcoholic home and then as a wife to an alcoholic. Her childhood taught her the lessons of love, be good, be loved. She... Continue Reading →
My garage door slowly opens and I carefully back my car into the alley avoiding my trash cans. Making a last minute trip to Trader Joe’s for a couple items before some of my girlfriends arrive for lunch and a beach day, I always manage to forget something. I smile, so fortunate to hang with... Continue Reading →
Rushing to meet my sister and my brother-in-law at a local bar, I blindly dig through my handbag, my fingers searching for my tiny coin purse, the familiar soft leather and metal clasp. Way down deep I find it. I quickly feed the meter and then run between the slow moving cars. It’s a Tuesday... Continue Reading →
I think about my dad every day. This year marks our eighth Father’s Day without him. In our family's early years, my dad often scheduled his work travel so he was away on that third Sunday in June, avoiding the discomfort of having his five children fuss over him on what should have been his special day.... Continue Reading →
Stripping my bed of its sheets, sorting laundry and stacking books on my night stand, I ignore an empty feeling gnawing at my gut. Menial tasks are always a good distraction. I sit on the edge of my bed, reaching down to unplug my charger and disconnect my phone. I notice an unread message from... Continue Reading →
Sitting in the salon today, I face the mirror, waiting while my color is mixed. I am wearing only mascara and lip balm. I study my 50 something face, crows’ feet accentuated when I smile, furrowed brow even when I am not furrowing, the parenthetical curves that frame my mouth, the puffiness beneath my eyes,... Continue Reading →
The school day ended hours ago. I could go home, but traffic is peaking. I have no plans and no one waits for me. For a moment I remember how it feels to be welcomed home, and then I let it go. There is certainly plenty of work to do, evaluations to complete and meetings... Continue Reading →
Bare Naked in Public 