Speed

I’m not a fast runner – or so I thought.  I had always seen myself as more of an endurance girl.  Sure, I could go the distance.  With one full marathon and a handful of half marathons under my belt in recent years, I had proven that. But I had always taken the course slowly. What’s interesting is that when we give ourselves a label, consciously or unconsciously, we feel compelled to stay true to it.  It’s almost as if stepping into a role outside of the confines of that label feels so impossible to us, that sometimes, we won’t … Continue reading

A Difficult Conversation

“Whose house are you going to?”  I ask as she is about to walk out the door. “Sarah’s,” my girl says as she steps into her flip flips. “Is her mom home?” “No, Jason’s watching them.” “I don’t want you in their house if their mom isn’t there.” “But…” “No going inside with a parent!” I say emphatically. I have given my oldest daughter a lot of freedom since moving from suburban New Jersey to coastal North Carolina.  Our town, which has a Mayberry feel, is quiet in the off season but not deserted.  The neighbors look out for one … Continue reading

A Sort of Goodbye but Not Really

I have never taken friendship lightly. There is a very good chance that if you were my friend twenty years ago, you’re still my friend now, and an even better chance if that you’re my friend now, you will be my friend twenty years from today.   If you are someone who matters to me, you can live on any continent on planet earth and I’ll find a way to stay in touch.  I may even find a way to pay you a visit. This weekend, I am relocating my family from New Jersey to an island on the North Carolina … Continue reading

Something Has to Give

“Cut it to my chin,” I say emphatically. “Are you sure?”  The stylist asks. “I’m sure.” I sit back in her chair and watch as the hip, youngish woman slowly snips off my long, dark, shoulder skimming layers into a pageboy bob.   She told me her name when I walked into the salon, but I don’t remember it at that moment.  Maybe I was too busy checking  my Blackberry, or the time, or thinking of what I had to get done when I got back to work. The haircut had been an impulsive decision but a necessary one.  Maybe there … Continue reading

Gaining a Little Perspective as a Yoga Newbie

It’s time to mingle again, guys!  Today, with Kerry Rivera from Breadwinning Mamma.   I’m not exactly sure how I found Kerry, but I can tell you that from my first read, I was hooked on her blog.  Kerry juggles a home and a family with a demanding career, and as she puts it, she writes about the “joys and chaos of juggling a fast-paced corporate career and the messy, but wonderful milestones of motherhood.”  I love the honest conversations Kerry invites about balancing work and life and work and motherhood, along with her awesome book reviews and her journaling of … Continue reading

Learning to Fly

Wow! Have I crammed in a lot in three days.   I recited a few choice words for the naysayers on Alexa’s blog on Monday and  I introduced you all to a dog loving thirty two year old mystery man yesterday, and today, well today… Tamara’s here.  I could go on and on about my soul connection with Tamara. Our NICU stories, our identical choices in baby names, love of all things grunge, sort of the same maiden names, the instantaneous emotional connection I have to just about everything she says, and the list goes on.  On top of that, I … Continue reading

Go For It!

Do you know when you have big news to announce or you’ve just begun a new endeavor and people can’t be happy for you?  Like that time you decided to go back to school, start a business, or take up surfing? Doesn’t that stink? Naysayers.  We all have them in our lives, and it’s often someone close to us, either a friend or a spouse or a family member who shows little, if no support for something in that matters to us. Even worse, sometimes these people seem completely against what we’re doing. Today, I’m talking about how I handle … Continue reading

Designing Home

This week has been one big blogging high for me, from sharing my “happy,” to hanging out with Tamara, to today, hosting another one of my favorites, Kim, from Co-Pilot Mom.  I love Kim’s slice of life anecdotes and the gentle reminders they give me to enjoy every moment of this beautiful, crazy, unpredictable ride of parenthood.  I love how Kim is not afraid to try new things, such as running.  I love her passion for life.  I love her photographs.  I imagine if Kim and I met for lunch, there would be a lot of smiling and laughing and … Continue reading

Skin Deep

 A five year old daughter who refused to put on a bathing suit. A scar caused by a horrific accident that was preventing her from going out and enjoying her summer. What’s a mother to do? Scars,  we all have them, some physical, some emotional, some both. Are you living life to its fullest? Or are you too busy dwelling on your scars to do so? This is what I’m talking about today over at Tamara’s blog. My world collided with Tamara’s some time in the early part of the year.  And while we’re new-ish friends through the blog world, … Continue reading

The Good Neighbor

I can’t think of any better way to welcome today’s guest of honor than to serve wine and lots of it.  And Nachos.  For, those are the refreshments Alexa and I bonded over at Bloggy Boot Camp in Charlotte last month. One of the best parts of attending BBC was getting to meet so many wonderful bloggers in real life, and Alexa is just as delightful in person as she is on her blog No Holding Back. I can really relate to the story she tells below.  Can you?   I have not been a good friend the past few years. … Continue reading