Category: Life

They say that moving is the third most stressful life event after death and divorce. So, what if you have to move during the Coronavirus pandemic? The stress is pretty remarkable.

I’ve moved across the U.S. five times in my life—Texas to California, California to Texas, Texas to Wisconsin, Wisconsin to Oregon, and most recently…Oregon to Wisconsin. With the exception of the California-Texas moves when I was younger, the other three moves involved moving with two screaming cats. Just to add another layer of complexity.

So, me and my husband have done cross-country moves by car (with screaming cats) a few happy times. In January, we officially decided to move back to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We didn’t exactly factor pandemics into the equation.

Continue reading “What to Expect When You Have to Move During the Coronavirus” →

I opened the cargo van passenger door and jumped down onto the sidewalk. My boots hit the concrete with a deafening thud. I paused to enjoy a deep, luxurious inhale of the crisp mountainous air.

Mother Nature finally decided to turn off the “snow” light switch and the skies were sweet and clear. A stubborn sunset kept hanging on—as if Montana was making a point for me to witness its undeniable glory.

After driving for hours across the country—through a late-March mixture of rainstorms and whiteouts—feeling my feet on the ground was life-affirming.

Continue reading “A COVID-19 Tale of Three Women on a Quest for Food” →

This is clearly a crazy cat lady post. Feel free to run if you 1) Don’t like cats for whatever reason or 2) Think cat writing tributes are completely ridiculous.

If you’re still here, also know that I haven’t lost it or hit a wall with my writing. I simply thought it was time to write a tribute to my old lady cat, Panda (real name: Aphrodite) while she’s still here in the realm of humans, rather than writing one later when she moves on.

Why do we write tributes after humans and animals die anyway? Isn’t it better to honor them while they’re alive? Without further ado…

Continue reading “A Tribute to My Relentless 80-Year-Old Cat” →

I am not immune to the power of words. No matter how many times I’ve strung words together to create stories, even emails, I take pause. I respect their power, the way they stab you in the heart in the best possible way.

How could I better say no to the noise to better say yes to the adventures I craved?”

I came across this question last night and I was floored. Sometimes timing is just so spot-on when you read what someone else wrote. And it’s as if that person is speaking right through the page.

This question was one of several Tim Ferriss asked himself when he reached a fork in life’s unpredictable road. Perhaps it resonates with you or it doesn’t do anything for you at all. Right now, it neatly encapsulates my life.

Continue reading “Saying No Before Yes” →

I used to think flowers were bullshit. And by “used to” I mean 15 years of my life were shrouded in flower cynicism.

During my early dating years, I instructed boyfriends to adhere to my flower rules. Don’t apologize with them and don’t express love with them. Got it?

Perhaps these flower rules seem harsh, but I had my reasons. If petals faded, wilted, then fell to the ground within 3-5 days…how was that tragic performance a symbol of eternal love? How did the cheapest bouquet from the chain grocery store serve as a relationship peace treaty?

One day I was forced to abandon my flower cynicism. Mr. H gave me an irresistible bunch of flowers for our 11-year anniversary.

He kissed me and said: “Don’t be a dick. Happy anniversary.” (Side note…we call each other dicks all the time in this house. It’s our time-out phrase.)

Mr. H and his floral-scented purple, yellow, and green accomplices tugged at my heart strings a little. Okay, a lot.

Continue reading “Abandoning My Flower Cynicism for Good” →