I’m so excited to finally introduce my book club. I’ve been wanting to do this for so long, and just needed the time to get it together! 🙂 When you have a chance, visit my Instagram or Facebook page to watch the introduction video and see what Stacks of Life is all about! And we’re jumping into our first book this week! It is. . . The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry By Gabrielle Levin This book has been on my tbr list for years and I’m so excited to dive into it. We…
Are you using this time at home to catch up on laundry? Or is your hamper overflowing? Either way, it’s fine. Is your child’s distance learning program organized on a color-coded schedule on the fridge? Or are you winging it and adding in some life skills and PBS Kids to your days? Either way, it’s fine. Are you making homemade meals and freezing them? Or are you using food services with contactless delivery? Either way, it’s fine. It really is fine. Whatever your days look like, whatever you’re doing…
The life behind the Instagram shot isn’t always as it seems. Sure, sometimes it might be. Maybe this person brought her Thanksgiving books and read them to her little one as they cuddled under their blanket and watched big brother play goalie in his early morning soccer game. Maybe he dove for the ball and even when he missed it he pumped himself back up, stayed positive, and kept at it. Maybe it was a fun family outing on a cool November morning and then they all walked hand-in-hand back to the car and happily piled…
What does the 6-month mark of grieving look like? I imagine it looks and feels a little different for everyone. Time has now gifted you a bit of separation from the initial shock to your heart and mind. The pain isn’t gone, but somewhat softened. You’re not healed, but at least moving. You can find your smile, but the tears still find you too. In our house, 6 months after losing my brother-in-law, it’s . . . different. Death can do that. It has the power to change the way you live, think, work…
I knew the general idea of “Before We Were Yours” from friends’ recommendations. I knew I wanted to read it, I knew it would probably make me cry at some point, and I knew it would suck me in from the first page. I wasn’t ready for there to be a part of me that just wanted to hurry to the next chapter, past the uncomfortable and heartbreaking descriptions, and on to the lighter, modern day stories, so I wouldn’t sob and shake my head at the ugliness of this world. But a…
I headed to Austin last week with a heavy heart. I was (and am) mourning the loss of my brother-in-law and was so conflicted by how I was going to make this a successful trip of networking, socializing, and “selling my brand” when I had a hard time even smiling. And then I received texts from writer friends who’d arrived ahead of me, asking when I’d get there and saying how excited they were to see me. And I smiled. And when I arrived at the hotel, and then at conference the…
I think one of the most bizarre parts of grief and loss is this. This blue sky, this bright sun, this feeling of fresh air and warmth when I stepped outside today. It was confusing to my exhausted, melancholy mind. How dare this gorgeous day appear when my heart and mind are bawling! Shouldn’t the whole world be dark and gloomy? How can the days keep going, keep changing from day to night and day again, when we’re frozen in our sadness? How can the world keep turning and the day-to-day keep occurring? How…
So this was fun. Recently I volunteered to help with the A-B Honor Roll Ice Cream Party at my son’s high school. Don’t worry, he was fine with me being there, and even came to my “station” with some of his friends to say hi. All was good. I’ve been volunteering with my boys’ elementary and middle schools for several years, usually helping in some way with the teacher luncheons, field trips, carnivals, etc. I’m comfortable in both of those schools and have several mom/dad friends in…
During my girls’ weekend with some precious writing friends, we had a long, relaxed chat about our writing, our blogs, our goals. And the question of our “WHY” came up. WHY are we doing this? WHY are we writing and blogging and building our social media and working our tails off to reach teeny tiny and insanely huge goals? WHY is this important to us? WHY does this consume us the way it does? Of course each of our answers was different. And mine, as I knew it would be, was all over the place. My WHY…
Hey. Can I tell you something? If I know you’re excited about something in your life, I’m gonna be excited for you. If you’re looking forward to something with bated breath, I’m gonna wait anxiously with you. And when you announce it’s finally happened, I’m gonna jump up and down for you. If you’ve been working hard toward something and need some encouragement, I’m gonna rally for you. If you’ve checked off something from your bucket list, I’m gonna high…