The day started with my phone alerting me with a gale warning, so I decided to scrap the itenirary for the day, which had included a 1.5 hour drive inland, and limit my adventures to one peninsula over, Georgetown Island. That way I wouldn’t be more than 40 minutes away from my room if I […]
The Maine Diaries: Days One and Two.
I did a lot of research before going to Maine, because every time I thought I’d found the end to the goodness of the state, I’d come upon something else and be like “WHAT?! There’s a mile long granite walkway into the ocean that ends at a LIGHTHOUSE?! And I’m just finding this now??” and […]
Mainely Alone: Silence and Beauty.
“This is your fall. You should maximize it.” Chris said those words to me because this would be the first fall in 22 years that we haven’t spent most of our fall Saturdays going to Alabama Football games. (More falls than that for him – since he was 13 – but that’s just my fall […]
Introducing: Buddy The Snake.
We are a little over a month into being A Pet Family. Meet Buddy the Snake, Noah’s much awaited ninth birthday present, a tiny baby Ball Python. Buddy is an extrovert, always doing crazy things like hanging upside down to drink his water (show off), Fixing my hair in new and creative ways, Curling up […]
The Education of Anaphylaxis.
Last week, the kids and I went to Greenville to visit Not-Crazy-Renee. We make it there a couple times a year to see our former neighbors, and to take their Christmas card pictures. My kids love going up there, but Noah especially was excited about this year because he was really looking forward to visiting […]
On Running To and From Dismal.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the strong urge to leave town. It had been a rough summer, and it was the week before the first anniversary of my Dad’s death, and all the blech and sadness and ick was making me quite dismal. I haven’t felt like writing, photographing, staging roadkill, or even […]
On The Consideration of Being a Pet Owner.
You know how kids go through that stubborn phase where they will absolutely not try anything you want them to, for no other reason than because you want them to? “Seriously, son. You will LOVE this dessert, made with all the things you love – chocolate, marshmallows, graham crackers, and more chocolate.” “NO. I WILL […]
The Definition of Mild Soreness.
“You might feel some mild soreness for the rest of the day. Resume your normal activities tomorrow.” That’s what I was told on Wednesday, after having my Endoscopy with multiple biopsies and double dilation of my throat. Before the procedure, I wasn’t told anything – I just assumed that surely such a procedure would make […]
The Problem With Paris.
Last week, I was in Eastern Europe. I’m still mentally unpacking all of the beauty I saw and all of the beautiful people I met there. But getting there…was not so pretty. Specifically, Paris. When I saw our flight itinerary and realized we were going to be flying through Paris both coming and going, I […]
Hashtag, Thunderhike.
I gave a speech this weekend to the AHTS (Alabama Hiking and Trail Society) about nurturing and encouraging children’s love of hiking. It’s way too long in its current format to share here (it was 45 minutes – perhaps the longest I’ve ever talked at one time ever), but in the process of writing it, and […]