John's yard was a meadow of clover and Queen Anne's lace long before the anti-lawn movement spread to Harvard orTikTok. Our section of the street was a curved tail-end of a longer road, a detour along an otherwise linear path. There was (still is) a cove in the middle of the curve, which gave our … Continue reading A few things: April 2021
A scene from Brené Brown's 2019 "The Call to Courage" (which, if you haven't yet watched, is well worth your time - this story is at the 18:00 mark): A guy walked up to Brené after one of her talks, and he said, "Your work changed my life." He then told her the story of … Continue reading A few things: March 2021
I sent my son back to college last week, waving with what I hope looked like cheerfulness as he backed his truck from the driveway. He returned 20 minutes later, having forgotten something important, though I can't now remember what it was. A shirt, maybe, or a favorite jacket. He pulled in front of the … Continue reading Flat circles.
A few years ago, when I first had an idea of starting a small stationery business, I wanted to start with Valentine's Day cards, which have always been my favorite to send (and, of course, to make). "Who would buy these in a set?" a friend asked. "I mean, why would you need more than … Continue reading A few things: February 2021
Almost exactly four years ago (when I was begging you to #artharder - remember?), a friend said something that I've thought about ever since. We were talking about the election results and what they meant for our friendship (among other things) since we had voted for different candidates. My friend said (paraphrasing here, but it's … Continue reading A few things: January 2021
(This piece was originally published by The Daily Memphian. Please support local journalism and consider subscribing.) Once upon a time, before the prevalence of cable television, WREG Channel 3 used to broadcast old movies in the afternoons and at night, after the 10 p.m. news. And long before there were jokes and memes about binge-watching … Continue reading My mother, Kris Kringle, and the spirit of Christmas
First of all, in case you're curious: Yes; she actually sleeps just like that, standing up, with her head resting on me. She is ridiculous, my sweet, old (so old) brown doggie. We are ridiculous together, in this ridiculous , ridiculous year. On that note: https://vimeo.com/488363490 What creativity sometimes looks like. And yes, I did … Continue reading A few things: December 2020
It’s like a David Sedaris essay, I say, talking to the tiny faces on the screen, listening to a wild tale about lost keys and madcap driving and children standing on the river bluff, cheering for newlyweds. (Because, even in a pandemic, people get married.) And the wedding was magical, the tale goes on, even … Continue reading Thanksgiving.
