My husband and I had to overcome our fears to actually plunk down the money to buy our house. As my father said when he heard how much we paid for it, "Did they throw in the Golden Gate Bridge…

In second year of grad school, the Minnesota winter felt even worse, and I despaired of ever having normal toes again. But, to keep warm, I did not go out and buy new snow boots, which was my usual defense…

(Hello! This is an essay I'm revising for publication in a local creative writing journal. I'd love to get a little feedback/reaction to how it's landing. Thanks so much!) My vision of myself as a writer has always been plot-driven,…

We wake up every morning with a choice to make. Sure many choices like five more minutes or get out and walk, flats or heals, oatmeal or cinnamon roll. But, that's not the choice I'm talking about. How about the…

Sunbeam Vintage is a place you don’t think about visiting on New Year’s Eve, but that’s where I was, way out in Pasadena, getting dining chairs. Can’t have a dining party without chairs. And in less than eight hours, eight…

A tree, missing bark broken branches falling off wounds lead to decay. A child, who can't love mood swings, crying jags, outbursts chases help away. Easier to fix a damaged tree, than to teach hearts to trust again.

Wind blows the chimney over, rain leaks through the old roof, staining the ceiling or mold grows on the bedroom wall. It’s worth spending the necessary hours or days to figure out what caused that damage and to fix it.…

Do you think the woman with the dog scanned my wallet? Wait? What? It’s not a coincidence that as soon as I left Starbucks I got that scam call. Your wallet doesn’t have your maiden name on any of your…

Twilight falls, yet before the next dawning, As a decent night’s sleep they do mock, Writers pause, knowing soon they must welcome the moon, And that ancient fiend called Writers’ Block. They hear in the wide world around them Peaceful…

I want to start clean. The weight of financial problems, health problems, and life problems feels daunting. I want to write and need to write but can't get motivated enough to share feelings. This weekend was Tiffany's birthday and it…

When you grow up with a father who cheats on his wife and leaves his family for another woman there's collateral damage. The daughter knew from the time that she was very young that something wasn't right in her family…

Marla swirled in front of the boutique's mirror with her best friend standing to the side. "It's perfect," Jenn said. "You will be the envy of the ball." Marla laughed. "What...I'm Cinderella and I'm about to accidentally meet my prince?"…