It is the first week of school and there is a heat wave. It has been a relatively mild and rainy summer and the blistering…
Early Night
In order to see my husband—to really spend time with him, I have to stay up past my bedtime. I have always put my daughter…
These Days
There are days when I wake and the countdown to bedtime begins. There are days when even the garden can’t help me, can’t silence my…
No More Laundry On the Chair
There’s no more laundry on the chair but there are dishes in the sink. And on the counter. And on the dining room table from…
The Land
The sundrops in my garden are originally from my grandma. She gave them to my mom when my parents bought their house and my mom…
Normal
Give me slugs, give me aphids, give me earwigs to battle silently in my backyard. My backyard, where plants will still bloom despite pests and…
Rainy Days
It is raining. The rain barrel where some of my snapdragons are planted is overflowing, gushing into the new plants. I watch from the bathroom…
Ocean
At first I say no. My daughter’s chin juts out defiantly. “Please mom,” she says. My son looks at me, hopeful. “Please, please,” he says.…
April Snow
It is snowing in mid-April. The kids are home and it is eleven o’clock. We are all still in our pajamas. I warm up some…
Mom’s Building
“I see Mom’s building!” my son shouts. I peer out the car window and there it is. It’s easy to spot, a bookend on the…