Fallow Fields
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Posted on February 1, 2012 by

I haven’t written anything for several weeks. Why? I’m not sure. Why do any of us lose momentum and stop doing something that we love, something we know in our heart of hearts is as essential as air? Perhaps one … Continue reading →

A Shot of Kirsch and a Pot of Bubbling Cheese
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Posted on January 11, 2012 by

One of my oldest friends recently gave me the recipe for her grandmother’s SPANISH enchiladas. She warned me they were not like “typical” enchiladas. I was stunned when I reviewed the recipe. No meat. Lots of olives and lard. No … Continue reading →

Thoughts on “Quiet Hands”
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Posted on January 5, 2012 by

Despite what the New York Times and other critics say about memoir, I happen to love the genre—and not just because I write it myself. I love memoir because it grants me temporary access into someone else’s head. I learn … Continue reading →

Christmas Crafts, Part 3
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Posted on December 28, 2011 by

Eventually it dawned on me that Michael purchased the North Pole buildings because I provided settings that brought them to life. Sure the hot tubbing elves were cute, but they’d be downright adorable when placed in the North Pole Woods, … Continue reading →

Christmas Crafts, Part 2
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Posted on December 21, 2011 by

It quickly became an obsession. Each winter Michael bought more North Pole buildings, triggering a town rezone. When he purchased the Glass Ornament Works and a gingerbread shop that blew smoke from its chimney, I built terraces designed to hide … Continue reading →

Christmas Crafts, Part 1
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Posted on December 17, 2011 by

Grandpa Jack collected Popsicle sticks the way most men collect baseball cards. There wasn’t a pipe cleaner or butter tub the man didn’t use. He wove potholders out of cloth loops and covered wire coat hangers with plastic braid. He … Continue reading →

A Bitter Pill
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Posted on December 7, 2011 by

Even now, more than five years after my daughter’s diagnosis, it’s a bitter pill to swallow. Why is autism still such a mystery? Why don’t we have more answers? Part of the problem is a lack of sufficient funding. In … Continue reading →

Milestones
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Posted on December 4, 2011 by

The other night, when I was putting my daughter to bed, she asked for the blue dolphin. I had no idea what Katie wanted, but her words were crystal clear, so I praised her as the speech therapists trained me … Continue reading →