1/19/1909 – 6/30/2011

My grandpa, Spencer Nelson, died early this morning. In the coming days and weeks, I’m sure I’ll write more about my last days with him, but for now, I’ll just post a few photos. Grandpa and Grandma were florists. Here he stands with a bouquet. He served in WWII as a Military Police officer on stateside…

Read More

some thoughts on dying

Warning: This is long and tangential. It’s the only way I can write it. On Thursday afternoon, my mom was helping my grandpa walk to the door, when Grandpa’s legs gave out and both he and my mom went down. He didn’t have a stroke; he just didn’t have any strength left in his legs,…

Read More

happy father's day!

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there. Wishing everyone a lovely day! D had to coach this morning, but we’ll greet him with homemade cards and the electric griddle he’s been coveting. We’ll have a little family time followed by some solo time for him to watch the US soccer game. Then dinner…

Read More

kudos and upcoming classes

I finally feel like I can breathe again since finishing my manuscript. I hadn’t realized how much energy that last push had taken. In the last two weeks I knew I needed to turn my attention back to the work I had ignored in May, but I just couldn’t do it. I kept sneaking back…

Read More

musings at 4 a.m.

Last night D. brought home Blizzards for the girls and for himself, and my “I’ll just have two bites of yours” turned into me eating half of his Oreo Blizzard. (Can you see why he doesn’t like to share with me?) I have a friend who insists that DQ is not a “deliberate dessert” (meaning…

Read More

it’s done!

I’m sorry to be so long in posting, friends. I’ve had my face in my computer almost constantly. I’ve been up since 3 a.m. this morning. I am exhausted. But I just e-mail the manuscript–Use Your Words: A Writing Guide for Mother–to my editor. (It hasn’t sunk in yet. I just feel numb.) Andrea suggested…

Read More

and the winner is….

Thank you all so much for your wonderful haiku! It has been such a relief to be able to step out of my book-induced stress haze and read your poetry! Thank you for your words! Now I’m turning it over to the talented and fabulous Caroline Grant, Editor-in-Chief of Literary Mama, co-editor of Mama PhD and the judge…

Read More

its time, again

(I posted this yesterday, but it vanished. I’ve no idea why.) Spring has been slow in coming to Minnesota this year, but finally, it’s here. The plants in the garden have begun to fill out, the grass is green, and even our spindly Maple in the front yard has sprouted leaves. All of this means…

Read More

it’s time

Spring has been slow in coming to Minnesota this year, but finally, it’s here. The plants in the garden have begun to fill out, the grass is green, and even our spindly Maple in the front yard has sprouted leaves. All of this means that it is time, yet again, for the annual Mother Words…

Read More

happy mother’s day!

Stella came into our room this morning and said, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mama.”  “Thanks, sweetie,” I said and looked at the clock. It was 5:30 a.m.  “I’ll just snuggle with you for a while,” she said, and she climbed into bed next to me. I fell back to sleep, but a few minutes later, she…

Read More