“It’s coming, God help us all.” ~ Acknowledgement of the arrival of the first batch of seasonal pumpkin spice syrup, as posted on a “PSL support group” by a Starbucks barista for his comrades. Latte. Muffin. Cookie. Dip. Beer. Pancake. Scone. Smoothie. Donut. Ice Cream. Hummus. Pick your pumpkin poison. Everybody loves pumpkin spice. Don’t deny it. (And don’t knock […]

“Some things happen for a reason, others just come with the season.” ~ Ana Claudia Antunes One week ago I didn’t know Jeju green mandarin tea existed. As far as that goes, I didn’t know Jeju Island existed and I can’t say that I’d ever heard of a green mandarin fruit. This week I do know these things and all […]

“Your diet, exercise routine and stress level lay the foundation for how you feel. So fuel your body with good nutrition, break a little sweat each day and set aside time to unwind. Because it’s hard to feel bad about a body you’re taking care of.” ~ Somebody It started out so sweetly… just a surprise one-armed side hug from […]

I can think of one thousand places much worse than this.” ~ I Am Here, Pink It’s around this time of year – August – when Halloween items show up in stores. It tends to frustrate people to see bats and cauldrons lined up alongside back to school binders and crayons, but we can’t pretend to be surprised. It happens […]

“You have the same amount of hours in the day as Lin Manuel Miranda.” Don’t tell my kids but I’m cutting the cable. I’m talking deep cuts; down to the dreaded basic package. The one where Channel 8 becomes the highlight. I’ve been complaining for months, and I’m getting tired of myself. I don’t know when television became so important […]

“Good morning, sunshine,” he said, his smile quickly disappearing in the face of her murderous glance when she raised her face to look at him. “Shut up and die, morning person. Coffee,” she mumbled.” —Alanea Alder On good mornings, I am up early. Early to some, anyway, and really early to others. I don’t know how it works for most […]

“Lately I’ve been feeling I don’t need so many things. I must: simplify, simplify, simplify. Then I thought if I were really into simplifying, I wouldn’t say simplify three times. I’d say simplify. Or “simp.”—Karen Salmansohn “To do nothing and have it count for something.”—Regina Brett It all kicked off with some kitchen utensils. To be exact, it was a […]

“Summer is the annual permission slip to be lazy. To do nothing and have it count for something.” —Regina Brett Summer! Well, almost. The school year has ended and the humidity has begun, so close enough. It begins by sitting in my warm house, hoping to catch the crosswind between the fan blowing in front of me and window open […]

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” —Samuel Beckett Graduation season is sneaking up, a day equally feared and anticipated by so many. It may be more of a 60-40 split, with the scales tipping in opposite directions depending on the day. I was the parent of a high school graduate one year ago, much […]

“Change the scenery of your life. You don’t have to travel far. It’s an adventure. A chance to refresh. To learn. To compare. To meet new people. To make new friends. To view things anew. To grow.” —uptitude.it My kids and I went to a concert a while back which is bound, in some way, to lift spirits, whether they’re […]