Family
Stuffed Peppers Unlike the Kind Mary Made
A few years ago, my doctor told me to be careful with carbohydrates—I’m hovering at prediabetic A1C levels and have a mean sweet tooth—and with menopause almost through the door, I’ve been looking for flavorful dishes that combine vegetables with some lean proteins. After doing some recon, I combined a few recipes to make stuffed…
Read MoreEighteen: Baby No Longer
Dear Melina, I’m beginning to realize the crafting of birthday letters should begin the day after your actual birthday so it will be ready for the year that follows because here I am, writing this birthday letter—the one I knew about since last YEAR—the day before your birthday. (Thank goodness you had to work today!)…
Read MoreConversations in Cars
In the car on the way to school this morning, Melina had a question for me. Melina: Do you get distracted by mirrors? Me: [Thinks for two seconds.] Yes, I do. Melina: Why? Why do you get distracted? Me: Why do you? Melina: I just look at myself. Then I move on. So, what about…
Read MoreOff Screen
We’ve discussed social media here before, so I won’t rehearse the familiar arguments. But on Friday, I did something deliberate: I chose to pause. I announced that, for the foreseeable future, I’ll be stepping back from all platforms—namely Facebook and Instagram. I deleted Twitter years ago; I rarely use LinkedIn; and, in my view, Goodreads…
Read MoreBack on the Road Again
We’ve instituted a weekly family Zoom meeting, and sometimes, like tonight, we forget about it until a family member texts saying, “7:30?” Then we scramble to our respective devices and chat until someone, usually me, says they are tired. Tonight as I logged off, Aaron was yawning, so I clearly wasn’t the only tired one.…
Read MoreAdulting
Last week, Talia called: Blue, her 2006 Honda Pilot, needed help. As it turns out, Blue needed more than help; it needed an overhaul. And since the car was twenty years old, we decided that pouring thousands of dollars into Blue didn’t make sense. Which meant that Talia needed to do a few things as…
Read MoreI Folded Clothes as my Mother Lay Dying
I folded clothes as my mother lay dying— the shirts she once would have pressed, the socks that once knew her careful hands. Outside, the maple trees shed their leaves like silent confessions. I stacked her sweaters in trembling towers, soft monuments to warmth. Each crease a small surrender, each fold a way of saying…
Read MoreSeventeen: The Last Rodeo
Dear Melina, I’m writing this as I wait for you at physical therapy. The original plan involved walking while you saw Ann, but once again, we have a hot and humid day, and my own joints—my hip especially—are giving me issues. So I sit here and wait for the words to come, and since you…
Read MoreAh, Parchment Paper
Mom never used parchment paper when baking, so I didn’t encounter it until well into my twenties. Even then I didn’t routinely buy it because of budget constraints. Now, thirty years later, I keep parchment paper in the drawer, at the ready for when I need it. Sometimes, I even have an extra roll in…
Read MoreCucumber Salad Recipe
This past week, I went easy on the cooking since I only had to cook for two people. Because I had plenty of cucumbers in the refrigerator, I decided on a salad. We liked it so much, I’m including the recipe here. This makes quite a good bit of food, so keep that in mind…
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