Every fourth Autumn, right about when the leaves turn rich shades of fall colors and there’s a delicious, crisp snap in the air that sends me running for my turtlenecks, a frenzied storm of presidential campaign ads, phone calls, speeches, emails ...

Located along the far wall of a seldom used dining room, my mother-in-law’s china cabinet proudly displayed a vast assortment of serving pieces, glassware and a host of trinkets collected over a lifetime. When you stood at the entrance of the room ...

As a child, I always knew I was in serious trouble whenever I heard my full name booming forth from the kitchen of our house, gaining speed as it echoed down the hallway and bellowing out to our backyard where I stood paralyzed in fear as it washed ...

Last year, when I decided to try 52 things I’d never done before, I made certain that the list included learning to swear in several languages.  Because that's the kind of person I am.  And because if you’re not gonna add that to a list of new ...

I adore commencement ceremonies. Really, I’m not joking. Too few occasions in life present the opportunity to surround yourself with such enthusiasm and promise. It thrills me to watch these events and see so many faces, all blank slates upon ...

My husband loves fantasy flicks.  Like most guys, he's a sucker for any film that weaves a tale of things otherworldly or beyond the human realm. If there's a movie out there that depicts superheroes, spaceships, aliens, magic wands, ...

If you’re one of my four or five regular readers, you already know that I’m currently dealing with a wee bit of crap in my life.  As a result, I am doing whatever I can to emotionally stay afloat and maintain a positive spin on things: writing, ...

I have a great story to tell.  It’s full of the stuff that makes for a great story: good guys and bad guys, love and hate, good and evil. And a happy ending. I want to tell this story… I ache to tell it. Unfortunately, I cannot tell you this ...

Fifty-two weeks ago, I began a challenge: try something new every week for an entire year.  The goal was to marinate myself in new experiences and remind myself that I'm not too old to try new things.  I wanted to add interest, invite ...