Category: Stories
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Notes On Free Stuff and Bad Health
Free Stuff Janessa and I were driving around, looking for camp chairs at thrift stores. I was telling her about my life philosophy, and why I’m always reluctant to purchase things that I want but don’t desperately need. “I just feel like if I wait long enough, things suddenly appear, for free,” I said. Two…
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Teaching Myself some Cooking Skills
Frankly, I’ve never really enjoyed cooking. I’ve always secretly hoped that I’d marry someone who loved to cook and never have to bother. Well, we all know how that worked out for me. Here are some things I’ve noticed about people who love cooking, as well as some theories about why I’ve never taken to…
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My Moving Journey: On Abundance and Fitting In
When I got the notice that my library books were due in three days, I started reading them extra-ardently. Then I ran out of books to read. I was going to walk down to the library, but then Jenny’s friend Tatiane came over and we walked to Gucci Kroger instead. I’ll just go tomorrow, I…
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Blacksburg Virginia: Settling In
As I recounted last week, Jenny and I arrived in Blacksburg on Saturday, August 7, and our Aunt Margaret was here to help us settle in. We were caught in a flurry of activity–buying furniture, cleaning, putting things in the correct cupboards, and trying to figure out why the hot water wouldn’t work. When Margaret…
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Fun Times in the Countryside
I find, as the weather warms up, that the country becomes a less-boring place to live. For instance, one day as I was painting primer on the boards that would become the steps of our new barn, I watched Mom, Dad, and Ben all trying to chase the chickens back into their enclosure. “They’re eating…
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The Green Sock Prank
I’ve had an epic April Fools prank idea festering in my mind for years. The idea stemmed from the mysterious way in which clothing items suddenly disappear or randomly show up again every time you do laundry. Sometimes you find things you’ve never seen before in your life. One day—I believe it was three years…
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Going to the Ocean with my Sisters
Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. Also, sometimes your mom is craving some home-alone time. These are the reasons why my sisters and I spent most of the week at a little Airbnb by the ocean. Amy had to work until Thursday, but Jenny and I can take our work with…
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Sending My Book Into the Wide Wide World
On Tuesday, November 17, I woke up feeling grumpy. All these little things were going wrong in my life. My books still had not arrived, even though I’d told everyone that November 16 was my official release date. I’d been heavily exposed to Covid, and still didn’t have my test results back, so I was…
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The Aftermath of Dad’s Accident
What a strange summer it’s been. With the virus still looming, we had the first wedding in our family, I turned 30, I worked (and am still working) through the last stages of getting my book published, and my dad had a terrible accident that changed everything. The first week post-accident, I drove to the…
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The Story of Dad’s Accident
It was a damp chilly morning, the day after my birthday, and I couldn’t help but think about what a nice birthday it had been. I’d been afraid that my 30th would pass with little fanfare, since we’re still rather in Covid times. But it had been so lovely. Many people had reached out to…
The Girl in the Red Rubber Boots 