As I mentioned previously, folks in my life often wonder why I love it here in the middle of nowhere, New Hampshire. Recently I did a bit of reflecting about that, so I thought I would share the reasons why rural life is so appealing to me in a series of posts. My #1 (read…
Category: Part IV: In the Present
The Sticks, Part 1.
I live in the real middle-of-nowhere part of New Hampshire. We can occasionally hear gunshots from our back porch, for instance. To note: guns produce a sound that our two dogs detest almost as much as the humans, as the entire house breaks out in a roaringly loud cacophony of shrieks and barks any time…
Bearing Witness
It had been a struggle to find focus. My mind felt continuously foggy and preoccupied. To get into a different mindset, I made an effort at light house cleaning. It didn’t last. The dust bunnies in the corners of the room continued to expand dramatically and seemed more aptly described as dust elephants. The “clean” laundry…
The Ugly
In the early hours of November 9th I was curled up on a hotel room bed. I was sobbing and my heart was aching. It was an ugly scene. In fact, everything around me felt ugly, most notably the election map on the screen in front of me. My personality is programmed to embrace joy, humor,…
I Need Some Comedy, Folks
About eight years ago I sat on my couch, anxious, heart pounding, watching as Katie Couric interviewed the woman who had already become the principal player in my nightmares; then-governor and vice presidential hopeful, Sarah Palin. I was rattled by her answers to nearly every question, but I remember my head actually falling into my hands when…
Springing Up
I enjoy bellying up to a cozy bar, husband within arm’s reach and a good cocktail even closer by. This is not always easy to do in the mountains of New Hampshire, so on a recent trip to Boston we did an awful lot of bar hopping. We drank spicy and aromatic concoctions and managed to…
The Importance of Being Earnestly Uncomfortable
I have always run from the awkward and painful. Historically my preference is to be enveloped in coziness… quite literally. I vividly remember crawling under the oversized and worn cushions on the living room couch as a child, hiding undercover, surrounded by softness and gentle darkness for hours at a time. I’ve spent so much of my…
Dear Ireland
Dear Ireland: Let me start by saying that I miss you. A lot. It has been too long, and a return visit is long overdue. I am writing on this St. Patrick’s Day because I owe you an apology. Before I get there, though, let me first say how lucky I was to spend five…
Guilt on a Tropical Island
I walked to the beach hoping to find my husband and two drinks waiting for me under a palm tree, but I couldn’t locate him anywhere. Suddenly I heard his voice, and off in the distance I saw him – surrounded by two women, with a very concerned look on his face. He beckoned me forward,…
An Ode to a Rural Backyard
My husband and I recently shared our home with two boys from the Bronx as part of the Fresh Air program. We ran through sprinklers, kicked soccer balls around the park, jumped into lakes and ate s’mores over a campfire. It felt like a real summer. It was pretty awesome. The boys were surprised, however, by…
The Very Hungry Entourage 