"Give a Piece a Chance." — Books. Blog. Pie Classes. And a Pinch of Activism.
Seven months ago today the date was August 19, 2009. That was the day my life changed forever. That was the day Marcus, my husband who was healthy, smart, funny, sexy, gorgeous, fit and, okay, yes, sometimes annoying (he wasn’t perfect, we’re not going to canonize him here), died of a ruptured aorta. One minute … Read more
Sometimes people send me links to pie stories in the media and pie-related postings on other people’s blogs. I keep a running log of all of these, and I plan to mention them in a blog post at some point…yes, I know, I’ve become quite the procrastinator lately. But today pie-contest book author Gina Hyams … Read more
I was feeling a little guilty over advocating alchohol as a pain soother in my last post, but my guilt was assuaged when I received an email from my friend Angela in Santa Monica. She wrote, “Sorry to hear you had a grief burst and about your MINI ding. But I’m all in favor of … Read more
I had a hard week. I won’t bother going into details, but it had something to do with what I later learned is called a “grief burst.” Just when I thought I was doing soooooo much better. Hmmmph. At least it helps to define these things so you know you’re “normal” and thus deeming it … Read more
Seeing as I’ve been paying rent for the last two months on my apartment sitting empty in Portland, I finally extracted myself from Southern California and the fame-and-fortune-seeking life as an aspiring TV star of a pie series to return to my own reality show. Rain. Taxes. Unpacking. Unemployment. PHOTO: Shoes of Swan Island. Random … Read more
There is nothing like facing your fears — and overcoming them — to make you feel alive. Back in October I suggested in my post “8 Reasons to be Happy” that I would take our RV and drive to Crater Lake National Park, to honor the memory of where Marcus and I met. Seeing that … Read more
A block from Thomas and Alison’s house in Portland, this maple tree stood out as the most vibrant in the whole neighborhood. I stopped to take the picture because, in between the storm clouds, the sun illuminated its leaves to blinding shades of red and orange. Mainly I took this picture for Marcus. He would … Read more
When I am able to stop my tears long enough to look around and appreciate what goodness remains in life, there is actually a lot to be happy about. After pouring all my grief out to all you loyal readers, let me share with you the little rays of positive sunshine that have managed to … Read more
Speaking of pie contests, I just received a letter and news clipping from a friend in Portland (where we lived before moving to Mexico). The article, from The Oregonian newspaper, was about a pie contest. Contestants wrote 300-word essays about what kind of pie would best describe the way they were feeling right now–with their … Read more