I ventured into the world of book (and blog) writing to fulfill a promise to my beloved mother-in-law. Sue's bright light was extinguished on December 2, 2010, after a valiant 13-year battle with breast cancer... just five month's after her first grandchild (my daughter) was born. Now as a mother, entrepreneur, friend, sister, daughter, wife, and torch-bearer of a legacy, I paddle my boat, one wave at a time, toward that promise to her—and now to myself. In death as in life, Sue continues to motivate and inspire me. Follow me, and I'll do my best to pass the inspiration along. To life!
Sometimes you need to dance with your baby. And sometimes you just need to DANCE, BABY! Yesterday I caught myself dancing to this tunes on the Pandora.com “Casper Babypants” radio station. Yes, I know the station is meant for kids, as Szaba so kindly reminded me by sitting quietly with her books and watching me … More Dance, Baby!
In the constant need for something to amuse my 2 year old, I’ve considered everything but the kitchen sink. Wait, why NOT the kitchen sink?
I’m not going to lie to you, friends. As fun as Szaba’s 2-year birthday was, it was also … hard. At year 1, we didn’t have Sue. At year 2, we didn’t have Shirley. Perhaps unwisely, I hadn’t accounted for an appearance by Grief, my uninvited guest. I guess I was so deep in planning … More Grief: My Uninvited Guest
If you haven’t seen the “Double Rainbow” video by now, my husband would make some comment about the breadth and depth of the hole you’ve been living in for the past two years. I’ve included the video below, should you want to refute him or simple have a laugh down memory lane. Needless to say, … More Double Rainbow
My birthday is the day before Christmas, and my daughter’s is the day before the 4th of July. I mention it because holiday birthdays can make a person a little birthday crazy. (Just ask my husband.) To me, birthdays are a BIG DEAL. Because they have to be. Because you need to wave your arms a lot to … More Birthday Wishes for My Daughter
My gift to you this Friday? No less than a key to happiness. This Joseph Campbell video on childhood, living in the present, and the reflection of age is especially poignant to me as I prepare for my daughter’s second birthday next week. I hope it will be equally thought-provoking for you, no matter what stage … More The Timeline Mirror
Somewhat by accident, I recently re-discovered the pleasures of cookie decorating. I was going to visit my sister and her family and came up with the idea for a host gift. (Yes, I still do those. Here are some ideas.) I thought this would be something my 7-year-old niece would enjoy, but I was surprised … More Cookie Decorating
I was having a bad day and walking the dog. It was about 7:00pm on a cool and cloudy Monday a couple years back. Oblivious to the world around me and in a deep state of musing (as I am wont to do), something made me look up.
Besides my sister Robin, there’s no one in the world I’ve been friends with longer than Amber. And yet, even I had no idea what to say to her when I found out her younger brother had died in a car crash. Four years later, this Castle Heart project finally gave me the nerve to … More Reach Out
Toddler Talk Episode 3 “Bright” Somewhere in Seattle … Szaba: I’ve only seen it in books, but I think that’s the SUN!
My Castle Heart Publications 