Month: June 2019

Have you ever noticed how some family traits skip a generation? Maybe it’s cooking or musical talent or a fondness for knitting. My mother made her own wedding dress. I’ve never used a sewing machine in my life. Sometimes it’s genetic. Two of my children have beautiful blue eyes – a gift from their father… Continue reading To Save or Not to Save

There are some parenting milestones that you celebrate with great pomp and circumstance. Facebook posts announce the first time an infant sleeps through the night. Hundreds of photos are taken on birthdays, first days of school, sports banquets, and so on. Even everyday bodily functions are elevated to the level of national holidays when you’re… Continue reading In Which Defying Death Gets a Bit Easier

In the wild, every pack has an Alpha – the group member with the most authority and power. The creature who calls the shots and to whom the others defer. This also seems to be the case with children, a reality which makes sense to me because on any given day children are only one… Continue reading Leader of the Pack

This is going to be a controversial statement, but I think the bakery in my hometown in Illinois makes the best donuts on the planet. It’s not just their amazing variety or the decadent cream filling or the dough so light it can only have been created through witchcraft. The secret ingredient at Ellison’s Bakery… Continue reading Memories Tie Us to Special Places