As an Alaskan, spring is not my favorite. The only green it delivers is in the form of envy when I see others basking in sunshine and sandals. Sometimes it’s hard to believe we live on the same planet, let alone the same country. Alaska’s spring is all about mud, Xtratufs, and squishing around the yard cleaning up everything that’s revealed as the snowpack recedes. … Continue reading Spring Fling
It’s been 3 months since we moved the kids to college, so we are officially empty nesters. And I’m just sayin’: if we had a dime for every time we’ve heard the phrase “empty nest” the past few months, we’d be able to bankroll both of the kids’ tuition bills! (Actually, that’s fake news. Have you seen the cost of higher ed these days?!) Costs … Continue reading The Kids are Alright
Spring Break 2024: the year we went to Vegas, didn’t gamble a cent, and still hit the jackpot! The odds were in our favor thanks to two different school calendars that shared a single week for spring break. Las Vegas provided a central(ish) location to meet between Alaska and Nebraska, and the perfect springboard for a road trip through the American Southwest. Our flights were … Continue reading Canyon Country
We’ve been blessed to visit the Hawaiian Islands a number of times, but this January we enjoyed our first trek to Kauai. Most of our Hawaii trips go something like this: sleep in a bit, board a late morning plane in Anchorage, endure a bit of de-icing, and happily land in Maui six hours later. This time we flew on a red eye flight to Portland, hung … Continue reading Kauai Love
Our annual quest for the perfect Christmas tree is one of our family’s most sacred holiday traditions. Last December (in 2023) Sam was over 2,000 miles away in his first year of college, so plans had to pivot. Maggie was plenty capable of harvesting her selected spruce all by herself, but we sure did miss having our full team together that day. We brought the tree … Continue reading Traditions in Transition
I use air quotes whenever speaking about the “Summer” of 2023. It is easily confused with Winter 2022, minus the daylight of course. Sure, we had to mow the yard instead of shovel the driveway, but the moral of the story is we wore the same coat for both chores. And a person shouldn’t need a coat to cut the grass. The saying “there’s no … Continue reading The Little Summer That Wasn’t
My grandma was a quilter and a crafter. She spent hours crocheting blankets by lamplight on her living room couch (which she called a davenport). There was always a graduation, wedding, or baby gift in progress. In fact, the afghan she gave me when I graduated from high school over thirty years ago is often sprawled across my lap when I write. It brings me … Continue reading Stitch by Stitch
This winter break our family embarked upon an eight day, 800-mile road trip from Portland, Oregon to San Francisco, California. We only booked lodging for the first and final few nights, giving ourselves plenty of flexibility along the way. Armed with Spotify and Google Maps, we hopped in a rented Ford Explorer and hit the open road. The four of us are rarely under the … Continue reading Enjoy the Journey
Several years ago my grandma asked me to write her obituary. Well, sort of. She actually mentioned this request to my mom, who was her primary caregiver. It wasn’t something I wanted to think about, but of course the answer was yes. I’d write it someday waaaaaaay in the future when the time came. In preparation, the three of us sat around the kitchen table … Continue reading Saying Goodbye
Profoundly Ordinary 