MY FIRST BOOK PUBLISHING DEAL!
I have been writing all my life and while my byline has frequently appeared in some of the country’s top magazines, I always dreamed of writing a book, of being a published author. On Friday, February 18, 2011, four days ago–sixteen months before I turn 50, and eighteen months after my husband Marcus died–the Elusive Book Deal finally […]
Going to the Post Office without a Parachute
Eldon Postmaster, the ever-smiling and compassionate Kathy I made it to the post office with Marcus’ coat and bike jacket. Barely. The packages had sat on my desk for several days but I hadn’t sealed them. So before I strapped the tape on the Priority Mail packaging that held the coat and bike jacket I stuck […]
Sweat, Tears and Boxes in the Basement
I’ve been spending a lot of time in my basement lately. Why? Because it’s zero degrees outside, my basement is dry and spacious, and Marcus bought a bicycle trainer before he died and I figured I could put it to use. A trainer is a bike stand in which you hook up your rear tire […]
Aldi Fever: My Love Affair with a German Grocery Store
The connection to past and present, lit up in neon. I love Aldi. Aldi is a German-owned discount grocery store chain in both Germany and the U.S. (Aldi U.S. has 1,000 stores in 29 states. And, a little known fact, Aldi also owns Trader Joe’s.) Marcus introduced me to Aldi when we were still dating. […]
American Gothic House: My New Home!
Sometimes you come to a fork in the road where you are forced to make a decision about which way to go, and the direction you choose can forever change your life. When I met Marcus in 2001 I was on a road trip from California to Oregon and saw a sign for Crater Lake […]
Marcus: One Year Gone
August 19, 2010. The sun was shining, the humidity high, the heat penetrated the growing corn as I laid in bed in Des Moines, Iowa. I woke up at 8:03 and with my head still on the pillow I watched the digital clock as the numbers ticked by until they reached 8:36, which is 6:36 […]
11 Months After Marcus: Life in Full Bloom?
You’ve seen it in fall, winter, and spring. Here is the tree in summer, the tall maple on Floral Street that has come to symbolize my cycle of grief. The cycle that started 11 months ago today, the day Marcus died.But does this new crop of robust green leaves truly represent my life? Do I […]
Happy Birthday, Marcus — Happy Birthday, Me
Marcus would have been 44 today. If he were still alive. I have been dreading this day for several weeks now. Anyone who’s grieved a loss will tell you the firsts are the hardest: the first Christmas, the first anniversary, the first birthday, the first you-name-it, any milestone missed by your loved one is a […]
My Pie Memoir: Chapter One
I spent last summer in Texas working on my pie memoir. I was half way through it when Marcus died. The time stamp on my Word document shows the last day I worked on the manuscript was August 18, 2009, 6:04 pm. The next morning I got The Phone Call, telling me Marcus was gone. […]
12 Tips for my Fellow Grievers
I’m not an expert on grief really, I certainly never aspired to be one, but I have learned a lot about the subject in the 9 and 1/2 months since my 43-year-old husband Marcus died. I have learned that even though my pain has been so excruciating, so heart-shattering, that I’ve wanted to die (and […]