Look at our curb and you might see the Leaning Tower of Pizza Boxes. Or maybe the Great Wall of Chinette. Or even the gluttonous domain of Mocha Picchu, where tattered remains of empty ice cream cartons stacked one…

And just like that, there he is. My older son, Ben. All graduated from high school. Boom. And of course it was grand. And of course we were so proud. I was guilty of maudlin Facebook posting and over-hugging and…

I was introduced to Rachel Macy Stafford, also known as Hands Free Mama, through a blog post she called “Six Words You Should Say Today.” I immediately developed a deep appreciation for her parenting style. She’d read an article about…

I suppose all that’s left for me to do now is whip out the credit card. Because according to my lovely daughter, the plans have all been made. She’s picked out the dresses. The reception details have been put to…

Last month, as you might recall, the interwebs came apart at the seams because of a dress. You know the one I’m talking about. The one that was either white and gold or blue and black. Everyone had an opinion,…

I have my #2 pencil. Here is the calculator with the enormous number pad. All my forms, receipts, and financial statements are neatly stacked in front of me. Time now to engage in that sacred, annual ritual. I am doing…

  I paused before I folded this napkin. I was really hesitant to put anything about death in Emma’s napkin notes these days. I didn’t want her to focus on my mortality. I wanted her to focus on life. On…

I guess I might as well laugh. You’re next in line behind me here in the checkout line. By your clothes, your haircut, and that just-happy-to-be-here look on your face, I’d say you’re a senior at the college not far…

Society is changing, in some cases with head-spinning rapidity. Marijuana is legal in some states and making strides towards legalization in others. Same-sex marriage is now legal in a majority of states. Everywhere we look, it seems that groups who…

What I remember most is the rain. All day, all night, pounding down on the two-man Army-style canvas tent, leaking through the floor, running like a cold river from the head of my pathetic sleeping bag all the way down…