My last post was over a year ago and a lot has changed. I won’t go into details now, but I’m separated (since July), living in my new (since last November) house with my daughter, and it’s just the two of us, surviving. She started kindergarten, and my new school year has erupted apace, as…
Cake Pops, Covid, Colorado, and Creativity
2020 was… quite a year. Like everyone else, we shut down our lives in March and are just now returning to something that looks a lot more like “normal” as we knew it. Between a national lock down, online teaching, and trying to keep my family safe, my mental health took a dive and I…
Don’t Forget to Love Each Other
Deciding how to compose my thoughts for public consumption has been a challenge. Not because they’re jumbled or nonsensical, but because the sorrow I feel, the empathy I have, and the experiences in my life make them painful. I got a massage today. Now that life is reopening, I felt that my mental health needed…
Reflections
3 AM. I’m awake. Baby girl decided she wasn’t going to sleep like she normally does, and her daddy’s away for the night, so instead of rocking her to sleep and trying to get her back down, I brought her back to my room and let her sleep next to me. My daughter, the heat…
One Year Later
What a year it’s been. Since last April, I’ve recovered from a c-section, evacuated from a hurricane, been displaced for a month, moved to the other side of my job from where we were, seen my husband lose his job and then take on the astronomical role of house spouse while he’s hunting for work,…
New Beginnings
From November 8th: I was going to wait and post again after my house was “finished,” but life happens and sometimes you just can’t wait for things to be perfect. We’ve officially moved closer to my work into a trailer that is the right fit for us right now. There are some cosmetic fixes we…
Blessed Despite the Mess
Hurricane Harvey was catastrophic. That’s the word everyone has been throwing around since the storm made landfall last Friday. Over a week ago. I was cautious, and I have a very strong willed father who told me to get out of town before I couldn’t anymore. We suspected the power would go out, and with…
Magnalite, Magic, and Mother’s Recipes
Today is Mother’s birthday. As I reflect on the wonderful presence she is in my life, I find myself reminiscing. 30 years of memories with her make me so grateful to have her as my mother, my best friend, my confidant and sounding board. She is the sound of reason, the voice in my head,…
PPD 411
Postpartum depression. It’s real. It’s debilitating. It’s scary. But it’s really common. Anywhere from 11 to 20% of all women in the United States alone experience postpartum depression symptoms, though many don’t get the help they need. I was lucky. I knew what to look for, knew it was probably coming, and got help immediately….
Baby O’s Arrival
Just over six weeks ago, I gave birth to my amazing baby girl. I know everybody’s birth experience is different, but I want to share mine–not because something went wrong or I have this horror story to tell, but because it’s my story and it’s something I feel people might want to know. This pregnancy…
Making Decor and Miracles
The past few months have been filled with interesting developments, new experiences, and more blessings than I could possibly deserve. I know back in November I swore to post more often, but life catches up with you in the most unusual ways and time passes too swiftly. Being pregnant is draining. Yes, it’s glorious and…
A Season of Thanksgiving
After over 4 months (going on 5, really), I have returned to a place physically and emotionally where I can write in my blog again. I have been busy, I promise. Since my last post, some momentous events have occurred. As you are aware, I have been expecting a new niece or nephew. We found…
HappyHonu 