The Satisfaction of Spring Gardening

Painting of a backyard at twilight

Though the temperatures have dipped again, we had a few warm spring days this week.  After many months of neglecting my yard, I took advantage of the nice weather and child care assistance (thanks, Yia-Yia!) and set out to do some weeding and garden clean-up.

I tend to treat gardening much like house cleaning:  I aim for good enough rather than perfect.  My goal in terms of my yard is generally to keep it from getting so overgrown that my neighbors look at it with disdain.  When we bought our house, I knew the lawn maintenance would cause me stress.  The previous owner was an avid gardener who had done all kinds of lovely landscaping.  I’ve tried to maintain it, but in fewer than three years, it looks much less attractive than it did when he left.  The funny thing, though, is that while I look at my overgrown garden and feel burdened by it, I actually enjoy gardening when I’m in the process of doing it.  As with many things, the procrastination and anticipation are worse than the deed itself.

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What I Learned from Reading My Elementary School Report Cards as an Adult

Still life painting done by the author at age 10
Still life, age 10.

Five years ago, my mom came to visit and brought a plastic tote full of drawings, worksheets, and other papers from when I was a kid.  I began to look through it, but after flipping through a few preschool paintings and coloring book pages, I became bored and overwhelmed by how much there was, and I set the box aside.  It remained closed through three moves and ended up in a closet that collects miscellaneous junk.

When I did the 30 day minimalist challenge in January, I was determined to tackle that closet.  I pulled down the plastic tote and spent several evenings working my way through it.  The box contained everything from day care drawings and hand-made cards to report cards, individualized education plans, and reports and short stories I’d written.  Looking over everything provided a sweet and fascinating perspective on my childhood.  Rather than seeing my youth through the lens of my memory, I got a more objective glimpse into my early years.   Read more

Discovering New Rooms Within Ourselves

Black and white monotype of a model seated in an art studio.
Studio Model, Monotype, 2004.

A few nights ago, I dreamt that I found more space in my house.  I knew these two unfinished attic-type rooms were there, but I had forgotten about them.  I wanted to do some renovations, make additional space, and suddenly I stumbled upon these existing areas of my home that had been unused.

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Grammar and Usage Rules that Aren’t

An abstract image of crumpled fabric.
Monotype, 2004.

As a lawyer, writer, and general nerd, I consider myself a bit of a grammar and usage stickler.  Language is always changing, though, and there are many rules to keep straight, so when I’m not sure about something, I look it up.  That’s what I did recently when I came across a post on social media declaring that people shouldn’t use the word “entitled” when they really mean “titled” (when referring to the name of a book, for example).  This person vehemently insisted that a book could not be “entitled” anything, but could only be “titled.”  It turns out he was wrong, though I’m not sure he could be convinced. Read more

How to Pack for a Two-Week Vacation with Only a Carry-On

A carry-on-size suitcase, tote bag, and water bottle - all you need for your vacation

In response to my last post, several people expressed surprise at my ability to pack for an international vacation with only a carry-on suitcase. As a follow-up, I thought I’d share some details about how I pack. Most of my longer trips have been in the summer, and some of these tips apply best to warm-weather travel, but others are useful year-round.

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