Yesterday was Grandparents’ Day. If you forgot or were too busy enjoying the last hurrah of summer or simply didn’t know, now’s your chance to remedy that. Stop what you’re doing, call that special someone right now, and say thank you. Never underestimate what an incredible treasure it is to know them and to know … More Grandparents’ Day
Ever wanted to do some genealogy detective work, but didn’t know where to start? If you’re like me, you’ve probably toyed with the idea of doing some family tree research … that is, until you ended up on Ancestry.com and saw the subscription fee. But then this amazing book came into my life (left) and … More 8 Beginner Genealogy Tips
Last year at this time, I was cheering alongside Sue’s family and friends at the Minneapolis-St. Paul 3 Day for the Cure. Standing by my side: Szaba (well, she was crawling actually), my hilarious nephew Aaron, my sweet niece Ali, and Sue’s phenomenal mother, Shirley.
As my Facebook page so kindly keeps reminding me, it’s Sue’s birthday today. Trust me: I know. Not coincidentally, I started this blog one year ago in her honor. Lately, I’ve been putting a lot of thought into what I want to do with it going forward—and what you want from it. I wrote lists. … More 1-Year Blogiversary
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
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
As most of you know, since my mother-in-law’s death I’ve been on a mission to find ways to keep the memory of Sue alive for my baby girl. That desire, in turn, sparked a passion to help other families in the same situation. Unfortunately, I have many close friends mourning the loss of a parent, right … More Arroz Con Pollo
Here are some of the many special people we’re remembering today and a little snapshot as to why. I hope this little project brings a bit joy to your day and spurs you to share a story of a loved one with those around you. If you’d like to add your own memory here, it’s … More Memorial Day Remembrances
If you ever want to feel really REALLY shitty about yourself: Leave important people out of the obituary. Yes, I’ve done that. Me, the editor. The supposedly thoughtful, sentimental one. And let me tell you, add that feeling to the general crumminess of grief, and you have the perfect recipe for a clammy pit of … More How to Apologize
It’s that time. The time of year worse than the whole of winter combined. When we’ve had it. With every synapse of our minds, every follicle of our skin, every phantom cell of our soul: We need Summer. But Summer is a flighty, uncaring temptress. She takes her damn time. She naps and adorns her hair and organized her closets. … More Soak It In
My Castle Heart Publications 