My 13-year-old daughter asked me last week if I've seen "Wonder Woman." When I shook my head, she grasped my arm and leaned toward me earnestly. "It's beautiful. You have to see it." Accordingly, we made plans to see it together yesterday. She's right---the movie is beautifully done, and though I'm more a "Pirates of … Continue reading Newton’s Law of… Summer
Category: Family
A Visit (And a Visitation)
One of the interesting things about working at Home Depot is that our customers have a definite expectation that anyone in an orange apron will be able to answer any of their questions. And the reason our customers have that expectation is because we are encouraged not to answer with “I don’t know.” When I … Continue reading A Visit (And a Visitation)
Mother’s Day, By the Numbers
A recent Gallup poll asked Americans what they think is "the ideal number of children for a family to have" and found Americans, on average, believe that 2.5 children are ideal. ~ Gallup.com I'm sure this quote intends to say that the averaged number, gathered from responses, is 2.5, not that people actually believe "2.5 … Continue reading Mother’s Day, By the Numbers
Legos—Did You Know?
As a parent, Legos were my least favorite toys to step on barefoot. Did you know that a Lego can withstand over 4,000 Newtons of force? That's why the Lego always wins when you step on it. But that's really the only drawback to Legos. (Well, that and the price of Legos these days---it's nearly as … Continue reading Legos—Did You Know?
Mommying, the Way It Is
This one is a painful topic. I lost custody of my kids seventeen months ago. Having weathered (Sober) the death of a spouse, the infidelity of another, the unplanned arrival (and subsequent adoption) of a late-life baby, and a host of medical problems, I let my guard down when my life finally looked like smooth sailing---and I … Continue reading Mommying, the Way It Is
“Crazyass Passions” & Pencilled Notes
My mother isn't one for writing-in-books, so I'm tickled that the book she just mailed me has a sentence underlined with a smiley-face. "I believe in crazyass passion." That's the line she highlighted in Rinker Buck's Oregon Trail travelogue, and that says plenty about my mother! She's a world traveler, kayaker, fly-fisher, river rafter, scuba diver (Nitrox-certified … Continue reading “Crazyass Passions” & Pencilled Notes
Christmas Redux, Christmas Remix
Three years ago I took my kids (Elena Grace & Christian, then 9 & 12) up to my parents' house for Christmas. It was the first time in over a decade that I had been "home" for Christmas, and we resurrected every Christmas tradition I had grown up with. We baked my grandma's famous vanilla-apricot … Continue reading Christmas Redux, Christmas Remix
Kana's Chronicles 