Posts by Christina Consolino
Nineteen: The Nest
Dear Zoe and Talia, These letters get more sappy as the years go by, but I hope someday, when I’m gone, you can look at them and know how much I loved you. This past year for you has been strange, to say the least. The other day, in fact, Zoe came into my room…
Read MoreLet’s Talk About THE BLURB
She thinks the hard part is over. She’s written the manuscript. She’s done the homework. She’s sent the queries, imploring someone—anyone?—to take her work on. She’s learned to handle rejection and the constant nagging that her email folder labeled Rejections is teetering on the brink of no storage. She’s chipped away at her self-confidence, and…
Read MoreCat-astrophe
“When you’re ready to put Arnold on a diet,” the vet says, “call me. It can be a process, but it can work.” Arnold is the second of our cats to need some help in terms of dietary needs. The first, Ferdinand, ended up with diabetes, something we couldn’t control. I still remember the toil…
Read MoreAn Interview with Cara Sue Achterberg
I’ve never met Cara Sue Achterberg in real life, but if I did, I think we’d be fast friends. She describes herself as “an irrepressible writer, a curious cook, a lazy gardener, a loyal friend, a dog trainer in training, and an occasional cowgirl.” With a set of interests as diverse as those, she’s sure…
Read MoreEven More Words for the New Year 6
I’m more than willing to call myself out when I make a mistake. And friends, oooh, did I make a mistake last year! I chose to focus on these words (these words!): What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet. —Anne Frank Um, really.…
Read MoreAll I Want for Christmas . . .
This year hasn’t been easy for anyone. (That’s probably a gross understatement, of course.) And I think the stress of this year, whether overt or subtle, has gotten to me in ways I didn’t expect. Because today, as I sit at my computer and think about all the things I might want, or need, the…
Read MoreAn Interview with Abigail Swanson
Interviews are some of my favorite posts to put together, mainly because I’m excited about the authors I choose to interview. Today’s interviewee is a real pleasure to feature: Abigail Swanson is a current high school student and daughter of a college acquaintance. Abigail’s older brother, Jonathan, was born at thirty-one weeks with Cornelia de…
Read MoreRecipe Sharer
I recently proofread a cookbook, which was an experience in and of itself. Making sure all the measurements corresponded, that the hours and minutes and servings were consistent—a perfectionist’s nightmare, actually. On the other hand, the task appealed to that organizational side of mine so much, I’d do it again in a heartbeat. (And I’m…
Read MoreFear
My nightmares usually involve something chaotic: fog that splinters into a million pieces, cylinders that appear at random intervals, imposing pine trees with branches that aim to mutilate, shots of color that seem to cover everything. I’m not sure where the dreams originate, and I don’t have them too often, but when I do, I…
Read MoreSacrifices
We’ve all had to make sacrifices this year (that might be a very big understatement for some of us). But for the most part, I’ve been lucky. And even though we have six people at home for much of the day (Tim goes into work because he has his own office in which he can…
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