Say Yes

He sits on the lawn amidst heaps of brown oak leaves giggling wildly at the dog. Tomorrow we leave before the sun comes up. Today, his Nonna scoops him up, and carries him off for a nap. Such sweetness. Such sheer delight. It’s been good to be here where the December sun is mellow and […]

Illustration Friday: Flavor

I use Indian ink waterproof pens in my notebook, following the contours my hand chooses randomly, letting the day’s weight fall away from me. I let crazy whirling color happen. A mosaic of possibilities is always waiting to unfold. Every possible outcome awaits.

Bittersweet market

The bitter sweetness of the day began while parking the car in at the Italian market in Philadelphia. DH got a call from the real estate agent. The house closing which was slated for next week has been put off—for weeks possibly—because the sellers don’t want to be inconvenienced. I tried to let the […]

Milestone wake-ups and the magic of slumber

As I lie in the semi dark with my son waiting for his breath to settle into the rhythm of sleep, I wonder about the bigness of his small self. So much more than the tiny bundle of limbs, soft and warm curled in the nook of my arm. One look into his big beautiful […]

Self Portrait Tuesday: Reflective Surface # 4

This is me doing my long lanky leg thing in the dual mirrors in my inlaw’s bathroom. I’ve always been told I’m a bit of a gorilla because my legs and arms seem to be disproportionately long in comparison to my body. And to capture a reflection of myself, in a reflection of myself, […]

Sunday Mosaic # 5: Christmas Day

Awake with the first light of morning spreading its way through the opaque curtains. Bean in his red footie snowman pajamas nestles into the nook of my neck for one final snuggle before announcing his desire to roust the world and investigate every corner of it.
DH and I pass him of to his grandmother and […]

Merry Christmas!

The years fold on top of each other like the pages in an accordion book, each one nearly obscuring the last. Tonight we decorated the tree with ornaments from DH’s childhood. Bean’s eyes were wide with wonder, and he tried pulling on the strings of lights.
We spent the evening watching old home movies from […]

Tree pictures

Another 7 hour car trip to New Jersey survived. Forty degree weather, and scads of starlings whirling through the air like synchronized swimmers. Sun over brown fields of cut corn stalks or new subdivisions. Traffic thicker than a swarm of bees. We are here, with family. Bean’s doting grandma has already snuck him at least […]

Illustration Friday: Imagine

Sometimes painting is like this: moments of clear, vivid emptiness where imagination takes hold and wanders. Then, it is about allowing something that already exists to be. About being open.
I know all things are like this: parenting, writing, making love, communicating. And I know that most of the time I make it more […]

Go Vote

The Best of Blogs is doing their second annual awards soon. I’m doing lots of nominating. Check out the categories & vote. It’s fun.