“Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN’T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!”—Dr. Suess, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas Memories are powerful things. They can...

After wrapping up Common Threads, a very personal memoir, my goal was to put my artistic energy into fiction writing. I felt that I had said all I needed to about my personal journey. I was eager to dive into creating new characters and chapters, preferably fictional...

Write the book that you want to read. That is the adage drilled into writers. Today marks six months since Common Threads was published and over the last few months for me, that motto shifted from write the book you want to read, to write the book you will NEED to...

So, what is your cinnamon? What will you persist at until you get that sweet taste of satisfaction? Whatever it is, I invite you to join me on your quest to tear away, board by board, until you reach that delicious prize   Don’t let anyone tell you that your cinnamon cannot be reached, the only limitations that you have are the ones that you set on yourself.

I told myself that I was not going to respond publicly to the tragedy in Texas. For once I was going to sit it out because today should be all about my daughter. Today is her high school graduation. “Stay focused, stay in your lane, and just keep doing your job...

Inside an aged metal recipe box, tucked away between Aunt Frankie’s lasagna and Aunt Helen’s chicken pie rests a recipe for Magic Cookie Bars. As far back as I can remember, Magic Cookie Bars have been a part of my holiday baking traditions. These heavenly treats also...

Life doesn’t always go as planned. Shocking as it may seem, I never saw myself becoming a mother. I just didn’t think I was “Mom” material. Moms seemed to be these incredible martyrs who always put their kids first and set aside their own needs and ambitions. I knew I...

It’s five o’clock in the afternoon and the school bus stops to let children off. One mother (we will call her Sue) peers out the window looking for her child (we will call her Jane) to get off the school bus. Jane is usually the last one off the bus as she has always...

There are many questions and much stigma that revolves around seeking mental health services whether it is for you or a member of your family. Of course, the greatest barrier to people reaching out for assistance is the cloud of stigma that surrounds mental health...

As the holiday glitter begins to settle, many of us turn our thoughts to what a new year will bring. I myself find a new planner with nothing but blank pages waiting to be filled to be as exhilarating as the smell of coffee and hot doughnuts at Krispy Kreme! I love...