Sign up for my free art newsletter - get updates on new work, shows, & more!

Family

Latest Posts

A Memorable Day

I don’t know about most people, but when I wake up each day I have to take a few minutes to remember what day it is and to mentally review what I have to do that day. I have always done this, but since I now have a different schedule every day of the week,… read more

Lynda and Jean

My sister once claimed that my mother, Lynda, and my aunt, Jean, were both frozen in her mind at the ages of 30 and 35 respectively. It’s been many years since they were those ages, and they are both gone now, but I think that insistence in my sister’s mind is a perfect explanation of… read more

Teen Angels

I am a survivor. I haven’t reached this age and stage in my life without going through some ups and downs. One of the accomplishments I am proudest of is that I survived raising three teenage daughters. It wasn’t easy, but we all made it. A friend with a teenage daughter recently asked me what… read more

My Dad

March 2nd would’ve been my father’s 91st birthday. My dad was a hugely damaged survivor of a childhood so sadly violent that it is almost incomprehensible to the average person. The weight of his emotional baggage was so heavy, it severely hindered his ability to function appropriately in anything remotely close to the expected family dynamics… read more

Thanksgiving Memories

When I woke up this morning I had no idea how badly I would be triggered today. It’s Thanksgiving and while we no longer celebrate the way we used to, I enjoy the holiday and the friends and family I get to spend time with. I went to bed last night looking forward to it.… read more

Pool House Memories

I am sitting in a small, 10’ x 10’ pool house as I write this. There is a pool, some chairs, lots of greenery and a lemon tree on the other side of the pool. The temperature is warm, but comfortable with a gentle breeze and no humidity. The weather and the view are amazing,… read more

Traveling Through Time

When a life-long friend called me a few days ago to tell me about her mother’s health issues, it brought out so many memories of my own mother’s struggles in the last few years of her life. As I listened to my friend try to figure out what the best course of care would be,… read more

Cancer is An Ugly Word

(This post was originally written in January of 2015. We have since lost my feisty mom to another illness, but I still feel strongly about the importance of self-checks.)  “Every woman needs to know the facts. And the fact is, when it comes to breast cancer, every woman is at risk”. -Debbie Wasserman Schultz Cancer… read more

Heavy On Our Minds

  My sister Claire gave birth to a baby girl in March of 1975. She was born with red hair, brown eyes and personality for miles. Years before the phrase “It takes a village,” was coined, my niece Mary was our family’s community baby. Mary spent a lot of time at our mother’s house and… read more

FOLLOW