Roughly Speaking

Noah

2010-03-14T19:53:00.004-04:00

Meet Noah.
This picture is from ages ago in the land of uteruses. Last I checked he's as big as a carrot. He's my nephew! As soon as my brother and sister-in-law told me the news, I saw my aunt in a whole new light. She's always made me feel loved in a BIG way and now I know why. I love Noah so much already, and the little guy isn't even born yet.

On the drive home from Colorado, I stopped by to "meet" him. He kicked for me. In turn, I gave him gifts: books. What else would a writer aunt give her little nephew, right? The Very Hungry Caterpillar (including a matching stuffed animal), Dr. Seuss' My Book about Me (gotta start him on personal essay/memoir when he's young), and -- sorry but I couldn't resist -- Noah's Ark (it took me awhile to locate a children's version of the story that I agreed with theologically, but I finally found one). Little Noah, I can't wait to read stories with you. And, of course, take you to visit The Ark.

Skiing with Adam

2010-03-09T08:31:00.006-05:00

Skiing with my brother Adam is an adventure. His form is so graceful, and he has a real knack for the sport. He's also fearless. Recently, the two of us hit the slopes. We lost each other halfway down the mountain. Waiting for him at the bottom near the chairlift, I finally saw him emerge from the trees, covered from head to toe in white snow, a huge grin on his face. "I found the double blacks," he said.

Years ago we were skiing in Vail. "Jenny! Let's ski through the trees." Zoom. He took off and I followed him. Forty-five minutes later, lost among the pines, we began to wonder if we'd ever make it out of the forest. "I have a bottle of water and half a Snickers to get us through the night," he offered. (Thankfully, we found the trail and didn't have to sleep in the snow.)

Now, we ride up the chairlift and exit to the left. "Jenny! Let's go find the powder." Zoom. He takes off. And I follow.

Deadlines

2010-03-08T21:01:00.004-05:00

Every year I feel compelled to escape the east coast's blah winters, so a few weeks ago I drove to Colorado. Magnificent mountains, gorgeous green pines, crisp clean air, and lots of sunshine. When I first arrived, I was on vacation, so my writing time was crammed into a few hours here and there. When Ron returned to Virginia, I had the entire retreat to myself. I stocked up on food and made zero plans to leave the cabin, so excited to write, write, write.

Alone that first day, I settled into my desk/table. Twenty minutes later -- merrily typing away -- my laptop died. No warnings, no beeps, no flashing lights. And no sign of life. As I looked at the blizzard out the window, I tried not to panic about the fact I had a major magazine article due the next day.

I had the interview transcripts and e-mails on a portable thumb drive, but not the actual article. I pondered my choices: A) drive an hour through the mountains in a snowstorm, locate a computer guy, wait for him to diagnose (and hopefully remedy) the problem, check into a hotel and finish the article; B) start the entire article from scratch -- as in, write 4,000 words by hand with pen and notebook -- then drive to town at daybreak and re-type it on the public computer at the library; or C) call the editor, let her know what happened, and ask for an extension.

I picked C. And honestly? I'm sort of amazed. Maybe it was all those final exams in law school and court filing deadlines as a lawyer, but there was a time in my life I would've picked A (with B as my backup). C was a good choice. The editor was super understanding, my computer was a simple fix (once Fed Ex sent a new part), and I was able to retrieve my article and finish it a couple hours later.

Still, part of me worries I won't "make it" as a writer unless I push myself like crazy. I burned out practicing law and don't want to make a similar mistake in this career. At the same time, I don't want to go to the other extreme and be too casual.

Anyway, I learned good lessons from the experience, got to know the town's local computer guru, and was able to spend the rest of the week writing to my heart's content.

Green Cells

2010-03-07T16:18:00.003-05:00

Years ago I read about the potential link between cell phones and brain tumors. Since I'm in the market for a cell phone, I decided to write about the topic for today's Green Scene column.

Healing Hearts

2010-03-01T23:44:00.005-05:00

My laptop went KaBoom! (more on that later), and I'm exhausted (more on that later, too), but I still managed to come up with a book recommendation for March. Healing Hearts: A Memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon. Medical careers fascinate me in a half-gross/half-admirable way. This book is worth the read -- not only for the health info, but for the author's personal insights on family, kids, and making her way in a male dominated profession.

My New Favorite Sport

2010-02-22T15:01:00.005-05:00

Ron and I have a new favorite sport: snowshoeing.

White. Green. Fluffy. Callie loves it too. She has to hop through the powder like a bunny in order to keep up.

One of the many things I love about writing is covering a variety of topics. I think I need to add eco-adventures to the mix.

Spring Cleaning

2010-02-20T18:20:00.004-05:00

I'm not ready to think about spring cleaning. Aside from the fact that I spent the afternoon snowshoeing through four feet of fluffy snow, March is still over a week away. But if you're the type that plans ahead and you want inspiration for spring cleaning, read the book Dirt. Or read my article about the book Dirt in this weekend's issue of USAW magazine.

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

2010-02-17T21:13:00.005-05:00

First, I have to start this blog post on the topic of neighbors by giving a huge shout out to my awesome neighbors in Colorado. The other week, I arrived in the mountains in the middle of a crazy snowstorm. My neighbors plowed my long drive not once, not twice, but three times over the course of a couple days to make sure I could get to town if I needed food. And when I did go to town -- and got stuck on the way home -- they came to the rescue and pulled my car out of the snow with their tractor. Not to mention they've given me lamps, a rocking chair, and lots o' homemade food. Thanks a Bunch, neighbors!

My parents were visiting last week, and my mom said this place "inspired her to be creative." It's true. Maybe it's the hushed sound of the wind blowing through the pines, the beauty of snowcapped mountains, or the rustic simplicity of settling into a place with no TV or other distractions. Whatever the reason, I love to write here. And I was thinking . . . won't you be my neighbor? There's an eco-dome for sale down the way. There are a few empty lots to build a cabin. We could create a mini writers' community out here in the wild wild west.

Mail Pile

2010-02-14T11:37:00.003-05:00

100 million trees are harvested each year for junk mail. Of the 105 billion pieces of junk mail distributed in the US, 44% winds up in landfills unopened. To figure out how to stop the paper waste from being dropped in my box, I looked into the topic for today's Green Scene column Saving Trees and Your Sanity by Managing Junk Mail.

Journaling Your Fertility Journey

2010-02-11T14:21:00.009-05:00

Writing Workshop
April 10, 2010

10am-1:30pm

Pulling Down the Moon is an amazing holistic fertility healing center. I first leaned about PDtM when one of their acupuncturists shared her thoughts on winter seasonal health issues for this article in Whole Life Times. Next, a PDtM nutritionist chatted with me for this piece on fertility foods. Today, I'm happy to announce I'll be teaching one of PDtM's workshops in their D.C. Metro/Shady Grove location. Join me in April for the class "Journaling Your Fertility Journey." PDtM's recent blog post talks about how creativity supports fertility (find my class on their events page). If you're not on a fertility journey of your own, I'd be so grateful if you supported those of us walking this difficult road by spreading the word. Thank you!

Re-energizing

2010-02-09T13:32:00.007-05:00

Here we go. Again. A couple summers ago I took a road trip to Colorado. Now, it's time for winter trip.

Callie was an angel during the days of 10 hour drives.

When we arrived, I learned how to navigate on snowshoes. Snow is piled so high I could almost touch the roof. And, of course, I can't say enough about the mountain sun. Warm, blazing, and intense. I love it!

Abundance of Books

2010-02-05T08:14:00.005-05:00

In case you feel deprived of book recommendations on this blog (ha), I have more to share this morning. My latest article in USA Weekend magazine highlights books that deal with the topic of self image. Check it out in print or on the magazine's newly designed website.

Let Evening Come

2010-02-01T14:36:00.005-05:00

Last month I was in California for a couple days catching up on my compliance hours to keep my law license active (still not ready to let it go). It was the week of the torrential downpours, but California never fails me, and it just so happened that a portion of the conference was cancelled at the exact moment the sun came blazing out. I walked for hours up and down the beach soaking in the rays. Then I stumbled into The One Dollar Bookstore and found a gem. I knew right away it would be my February book pick for this blog.
Let Evening Come by Mary C. Morrison offers her reflections on aging. I love reading books by authors in their 80s and 90s. The writers are at a stage in life where they can offer a unique perspective on a variety of topics. Also, you can't help but walk away with a few lessons.

Lesson #1 ~ No one is ever too old to start writing. Pick up a pen and begin at any age.
Lesson #2 ~ Unlike some professions, writing is a skill you can continue to improve, improve, and improve upon no matter how many grey hairs and wrinkles.
Lesson #3 ~ Our country needs to celebrate the elderly and do a better job of treating them well. I love this Blue Zones video showing how a bar in Sardinia, Italy posts a "Centurion of the Month" calendar on its wall instead of photos of swimsuit models.

Here are some other books to consider:
Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill ~ I didn't always agree with her philosophies, but this book, published when Athill was 91, is worth the read.
Rehnquist by Herman J. Obermayer ~ 84-year-old journalist Obermayer recounts his friendship with the late Supreme Court Justice.
Eye of My Heart edited by Barbara Graham ~ in this anthology, 27 women explore the joy and difficulties of being grandmothers.
All of Harry Bernstein's books ~ I love, love, love his stories.

What books do you enjoy that are written by authors in their 70s, 80s, 90s, and beyond?

A New Column: Green Scene

2010-01-31T17:24:00.008-05:00

I first got hooked on coffee in law school. I blame Professor Nelson's early morning property class. And those late night study sessions. Also the daily commute, demanding workload and constant stress, stress, stress. Thirteen years later, I'm no longer practicing law, but I'm still addicted to coffee . . . to continue reading this piece, join me over here where I'm the new Green Scene columnist. In my debut column, I talk about my struggle to stay off coffee, and I highlight a number of Earth-friendly coffee spots around D.C. (there are additional locations listed in the print version).

My next topic? Junk mail. As a writer, I wind up on magazine subscriber lists and once that happens, BAM, junk mail galore. How do you deal with the waste that shows up uninvited in your mailbox? Have you tried Green Dimes or Catalog Choice? Do they work? What other tools do you employ to handle your paper mail? I'd love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment or drop me an e-mail and share your words of wisdom. (I might quote ya. Unless you don't want me to, in which case I won't!)

Food and Fertility

2010-01-22T07:16:00.003-05:00

For awhile I believed food could fix my fertility issues. Then I thought maybe food didn't have much of an impact. There are plenty of women who pop out kids without paying attention to diet. And there are women who eat clean "fertility boosting" foods with no luck. Still, I'm now back in the camp of those who believe food can make a difference. I chatted with a nutritionist at Pulling Down the Moon and shared her thoughts about what foods to seek out when trying to conceive (and some to avoid) in my latest article for USA Weekend magazine.

Online

2010-01-12T17:25:00.002-05:00

Here's the online version of yesterday's article.

My Sunny Personality

2010-01-11T00:43:00.007-05:00

Here's one of the many things I love about writing: I love being at a random event and meeting a random person and learning a random fact and thinking, I HAVE to write about that. That's what happened last summer when I learned of a new website that matches students with colleges based on their personalities (sort of like e-Harmony, but for universities). Turns out there's a whole slew of websites out there that can help students find a good match, so I wrote an article about it for The Washington Post's Express, out today. During my research, I pretended like I was in my junior year of high school and filled out the questionnaire as honestly as I could (based on what I could remember about that time in my life). According to the match, I should've gone to school in . . . drum roll please . . . California.

Over on the Book Blog

2010-01-05T00:27:00.005-05:00

It's winter. The tree outside my window is bare. Without intense sunlight, her veins have closed up and she cannot create vegetation. Her leaves have fallen off and died, even the most stubborn ones that held on through much of December. I think about her a lot in the winter. On the verge of going crazy, when I can't stand one more second of the day's heavy cold, I watch her . . . to continue reading about the book "Lives of the Trees" visit the LIME.com blog.

A New Year, An Evolving Blog

2010-01-04T09:59:00.002-05:00

Each year I reevaluate my blog. It could use a little more structure. A bit more focus. I have a couple tweaks in store for 2010, but I like its flexibility. One tradition I'm going to keep is dedicating one day a month to a book pick. Last year it was the 4th day of each month. This year it'll be the first Monday of each month (and how fitting that today happens to be the 4th). So on that note . . .
If you haven't read Baby Catcher by Peggy Vincent, you must. She is a hoot. She writes about a series of homebirths told by her perspective as a midwife. Mixed in with the births is Peggy's story of how she became a midwife in the first place and how the law and the insurance companies eventually stopped her work. Homebirths sound amazing. Families gather together and when the baby arrives, they throw a big party. Still, I'm not sure I could pull it off. When I gave "birth" to a weeks old fetus during my miscarriage, I remember thinking, I want painkillers! Maybe if someone like Peggy was my midwife I'd reconsider. Anyway, the book came out in 2002, so it's not a new release, but can be easily ordered online.

A Writer's Midnight Snack

2010-01-04T00:27:00.003-05:00

A writer's midnight snack:

Two black olives
Handful of blueberries
Dr. Kracker's seeded spelt crackers topped with organic cream cheese, cucumber, garlic powder and sea salt
Organic ruby red chai tea

Okay, back to work...

Year of Exploration

2009-12-31T10:14:00.004-05:00

2010 is almost here. What do you think people will call it?

Two thousand and ten?

Twenty ten?

O Ten?

Ten?

Two K Ten?

Ron and I are calling it the Year of Exploration. Our lives have unfolded in unexpected ways -- we both presumed we'd be living in a house (of our own) with 2.5 kids by now, but it appears the typical American lifestyle is not our path. So we're putting on our hiking boots, grabbing our flashlights, and heading down some unfamiliar roads. It should be an adventuresome year.

Happy 2010! Wishing you peace, joy, and love.

I'm Not the Only Writer in the Family

2009-12-29T08:57:00.006-05:00

This year my family picked names for a gift exchange. My dad got Ron. One item on Ron's Christmas list? Boxer shorts. Instead of buying the guy underwear, my dad wrote him a poem:

This certificate is good for three boxers, not briefs
The problem is too many choices -- good grief.

There are boxers in silk and boxers in cotton
There are boxers in wool, but that would be rotten.

There are boxers in briefs and boxers that are slim
There are boxers so loose they come up to your chin.

There are boxers in green and red, white and blue
I looked at the selection and could not decide what to do.

Then I decided it was a mistake for me to pick
It is not up to me how you wrap up your ----
Lower neck.

For alas and woe with so many a choice
Pick our your own and your boys will rejoice!

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T08:58:00.005-05:00

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God -- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

~John 1:1-14

4th Sunday of Advent

2009-12-20T20:11:00.004-05:00

I guess the colors of my Advent candles are technically supposed to be pink and purple with white in the middle. And I don't have a real wreath surrounding them. And I'm picking the readings based on what speaks to me instead of following some sort of church teaching or schedule. But I like my personal variations. It helps me dig deeper inside.

Advent's 4th Sunday ~ Angel's candle symbolizing peace

Luke 1:26-38 ~ In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.

And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!" But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."

And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"

And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore, the child to be born will be called holy -- the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God."

And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.

Winter Wonderland

2009-12-19T15:50:00.008-05:00

Happy Christmas

Welcome snow! I'm so grateful for a white Christmas.

My California dog, Callie, lovin' a romp in the flakes.

Love.