Two Magical Things

It is a Friday afternoon in midwinter. To brighten the dull gray sky and open my heart for the weekend, a list: Storycorps Until last week I had never heard of Storycorps, and my life was less interesting as a result. An NPR producer built a soundproof studio booth. It travels around the country where … Continue reading

Beginnings

Hello, internet. I’ve been remiss. Again. I am finding words hard this winter. Like I’ve lost them in the snow eddies which never cease. It is not the cold silence of depression or the hollow quiet of grief. Just a neutral, white Wordless. I sometimes wonder if all this waiting has me tongue-tied. Comatized. Mind-numbed … Continue reading

Even the light here is different

There are many things I knew would change when we moved to America. Our language would be odd [use the phrase “he threw his toys out’ the pram” and just watch their befuddled faces], our routines unconventional. I fully expected a warehouse-sized grocery store and a wild goose chase or two when I craved the … Continue reading

Holiday Gifts: off the beaten track

‘Tis the season, folks! I absolutely love gift giving. I love it hard. And as a self-styled Gift Goddess I proclaim here and now the best presents aren’t about the pricetag. If I were to choose favorites among those generously bestowed on me over the years —  how crass! —  they’d be evenly split between … Continue reading

Frozen: a blast from the past

So here’s the thing: I really, really like Disney movies. I like the adventures, I like the songs. I like the swishy dresses, slapstick sidekicks and saccharine endings. I like them the way I like junk food or politicians — in small quantities, tempered by reality, and without looking too closely at the fine print … Continue reading

Michigan’s Winter Wonderland

All of a sudden winter is here. Last week we took a break from life-altering debates and financial planning to explore northern Michigan. And on a whim, Bean decided it was high time we saw the UP. What’s that you say? What in heavens name is the UP? The UP is Michigan’s Upper Peninsula to … Continue reading

Tawas, Michigan

Sometimes the world hands you magic on a silver platter. While the summer and autumn of adventure have been glorious, exciting and full of love, Bean and I are moving into a new phase of madness. One where all our plans and ideas are more than pipedreams. Where it is time to choose where to … Continue reading

The Return

I thought a break from writing would help me better process the crazy changes in store this autumn and leave space for my private life to flourish, but it seems I was wrong. Writing is, by its essence, an act of processing. To put new things into words requires attentive thought unlike any other I … Continue reading

Oh, Britannia!

We leave in three days. The bags are packed, the tickets bought. The visa is stamped, the car is sold. It is time. While I never expected a wild rushing summer of family politics and working remotely, we’ve covered thousands of miles of country and had countless hugs along the way. Ten weeks ago we … Continue reading

The Plunge

Bean’s visa was approved last week. We left the Embassy and, after a celebratory pitstop in the decadent Selfridges Food Hall, we boarded a river cruise down the Thames. Saying goodbye to London and landing at Greenwich — ground zero; the place where time began — to watch the sunset. Fitting for the beginning of … Continue reading