Guest Blogger: Jack Iken on Life at Camp Doug
Hi, this is Jack Iken. The last time I guest-blogged on my mom’s page was five years ago, which is like 42 years in dog time. I only guest-blogged one other time. I have posted on Facebook a few times since then, but blogging is way better because you can say more and the stories […]
Tom Howard’s Last Piece of Pie
My dad and me. Photo taken on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2017 Two months ago I lost the person I loved most in the world. I lost my dad. He died on March 9, 2017 at 6:30 AM, of metastasized melanoma. The spot on his head first appeared in 2015, a raised and rough growth, […]
Taos: Making Friends with the Locals
During my recent weeklong Taos Writers Retreat I skipped the scheduled morning dance sessions. Free-form dancing in a group is waaaay too far out of my comfort zone, even though Jen insisted everyone keeps their eyes closed so no one is watching you. Instead, I walked a few blocks from the Mabel Dodge Luhan House […]
The (Snowy) Road to Taos
“Travel not to find yourself but to remember who you’ve been all along.” — as seen on a plaque yesterday in a home decor store In November, Hillary […]
Thoughts After the Women’s March on Washington
Many of you had been asking for a recap of the Women’s March, but, honestly, I am so depressed this week it is hard to write one. It’s been a week of political (and insane) assault on our democracy and freedom. Our role as an egalitarian, inclusive nation is being completely undermined. It’s the Orwellian […]
The Women’s March on Washington: Just Go
Ready for Washington.“I am woman, hear me roar.” I hate crowds. I avoid rock concerts and rallies. I shy away from situations or gatherings that might put me in harm’s way. Especially now, in today’s increasingly violent, gun-toting, backpack-bombing atmosphere, previously safe situations like going to an airport or a nightclub or a marathon have […]
Blogging in a Noisy World: Why it Matters
You may not have noticed my absence but I am fully aware of the neglect of my blog. Aware, I say, because I miss writing here. I miss the process of mulling over topics, asking questions of life and writing my way into the answers. That’s not to say I have not been mulling, asking […]
Seven Years
“Seven Years in Tibet,” “The Seven Year Itch,” seven chakras, the seven-year Shemitah cycle, there is a lot tied to this particular number of years. Today marks the seventh anniversary of Marcus’s death. That day. That phone call. That searing pain of a broken heart so shattered I wanted to crawl out of my skin. […]
Summer Fun: Pop-Up Pie Stand and Pie Classes
Big news! I’m doing a Pitchfork Pie Stand Pop-Up on August 27. It’s at Sip Coffee and Wine Bar, located at 120 South Main Street, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, on Saturday, August 27, from 12 to 4PM. Sip is right on the town square of this quaint and tidy little town at the intersection of […]
Father’s Day 2016
I wrote this essay as a birthday card to my dad last year. When sitting down to write him a Father’s Day card this week, I kept thinking about this gift to him. On that birthday night, our whole family sat down to a celebratory meal at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Marina del Rey, […]