For years I kept a precise track of my daily writing total. I’m from a science family and thrive under routine, so iteration feels natural. I was also part of a writing accountability group. At the start of each month, we pledged a daily goal. Every day, we would report…
My go-to pasta sauce recipe is one 28oz can of diced or crushed tomatoes, a half an onion (any kind), and some butter. Forty five minutes later, the house smells fantastic and I have home-cooked sauce I can serve with any pasta. But yesterday, I had actual tomatoes, multiple onions,…
I love my schnauzers. I’ve never loved paying their grooming bills. Every seven weeks or so, I’d cough up $120 for the two of them to be washed and brushed and body clipped. And Luke, bless him, has anxiety. I used to think people who said their pets had anxiety…
I’m a Mac user, so it was with some trepidation that I went back to an Android in 2017. But my iPhone’s battery was going, and if I replaced the phone, my existing $45/month didn’t-exist-anymore-but-we’ll-let-you-keep-it-if-you-give-us-your-soul Sprint plan would be defunct. I’d have to upgrade the plan and pay an extra…
I’m not a morning person, but I’ve been especially terrible about waking up for the last month. Alexa is my alarm and it’s all too easy to say, “Alexa, snooze” over and over until it’s get-up-or-you’ll-be-late-for-work time. So last night in a fit of determination, I moved my coffee station…
It took me years to learn this: It’s not selfish to take care of yourself. It’s not selfish to take care of yourself! Part of taking care of yourself is treating yourself like you matter. Here are small ways to be kind to yourself throughout the day. Eat off of…
Yesterday afternoon, I checked out the book Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage by Haruki Murakami. The lingering question in my mind, as I sat tear-streaked at the kitchen table, listening to the last notes of a classical piece that followed the recording, was, “What happened to Haida?”
It started with a box of tea. Ginger, my evening go-to, was out of stock on Walmart’s website and rather than make a store run (an introvert’s nightmare) or go without (and suffer the inevitable dizziness that would follow–no thanks), I opted for a box of ginger and turmeric tea,…
My sister and I like to joke about the “last pan.” Both of us have a habit of leaving one dish in the sink–usually a frying pan, or the 6-quart saucepot. A big one that doesn’t fit in the drying rack. It takes ten seconds to spread a dish towel on the counter so it can dry alongside everything else, yet we both fight the impulse to leave that one last pan in the sink.
The most common excuse I hear from friends and family members when it comes to things like working out, learning another language, getting organized, or even reading a book is, “If only I had time.” I used to say it too. I used to say it a lot.