What Happened to That Child?
November 9, 2022What happened to that child? Do you remember when she stood under the counter of the ice cream shop and nobody saw her there? Entirely awkward, she was somehow in her too big jeans and striped shirt just under the counter, but enough in the way of the other customers that they huffed. She wanted a giant cone of mint chocolate chip, and her dad let her go inside by herself. He waited in their tiny car, the motor humming while he hummed along…there was no money for a radio, so the family always made their own music. That little…
For the Love of a Mother
My first love was long before I drew breaths of air and felt sunshine kiss my cheeks. It was in the womb of my mother, where I listened to her heart beating from the inside, and she was my infinite universe. When…
The Day He Stopped Talking
I was 46 when my dad stopped talking. I know the exact day, because I went to my first game at Wrigley field and was soaking in the glow of a Cubs win when I called home. After my mom gave the…
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”. – Hippocrates
Ten years ago I took twelve pills a day for an autoimmune disorder, specifically Crohn’s disease. I had been on the same medication for seven-teen years, with frequent checks on my liver (the prescription had known toxicity, which was closely…
24 Parks
I explored a patch of woods in Indiana with my 3 sons today. For us, the extraordinary memories are discovered in the quite ordinary moments. It marked the 24th and final state park that I have visited, a challenge I…
Dear Dad, I miss your pizzas
Dear Dad, I miss your pizzas. The white one, that had splashes of olive oil and oregano on the puffy dough, a snow-fall of skinny onion slivers, and a salty top. The eggplant one, with a deep red homemade sauce,…
Bathroom & Kitchen Remodels – Kitchen
Bathroom & Kitchen Remodels – Master Bathroom
Bathroom & Kitchen Remodels – Downstairs Bathroom
Bathroom & Kitchen Remodels – Boys’ Bathroom
I Miss You Dear Dad
I believe the phrase “a zest for life” was invented the day my dad was born. He had such a passion and interest in everything around him…and it wasn’t just some days, it was really every day. I found it infectious and…
Where I am Rooted
It seems whenever I look forward, I feel the urge to look back as well…to confirm how I am rooted and what matters most. For me, another year has ended, and another Life List was completed. This one was short, but deeply…
Sketching a Character
In January I took myself on a retreat to a small and very old cabin in Illinois. Since I finished visiting all of the state parks in Indiana last year, I decided to visit the birthplace of each of my…