Beyond Parenting

Music wakes me up, puts me to sleep, charges my battery, and consoles me; it is a part of my daily life. I often play DJ on road trips, in my classroom, and at gatherings. However, there is a responsibility involved, an audience awareness piece that’s necessary. I...

Life as an empty-nester who recently moved “down the hill” is its own odd adventure. These days I find myself flustered by the demands of my dogs in much the same way I once was by my children, though at least the dogs don’t talk back. That’s the bonus. Still, I know...

Oh, Summer of Sandy! You temptress, you tease, I had big plans—bike rides, pickle ball, dancing in the breeze. But you had a plot twist, a cruel little joke: Second base, softball… then snap! Something broke. Hobble, bench, ice, elevation. My softball season? Brief....

I’ve always thought I was pretty adaptable. You know, the kind of person who rolls with the punches, keeps calm under pressure, and sees change as an opportunity rather than a stress-induced rash waiting to happen. This is a lie I told myself for years. I realized the...

I hadn’t a clue what to expect, but I kind of like adventuring into new experiences this way. Ecstatic dance was something I only heard of in the metaphysical/holistic wellness space. I guess I envisioned hippies spinning about propelled by chimes and rhythmic drums....

I have a busy mind. It’s creative and enjoys processing—and sometimes overprocessing—things. From life choices, goals and dreams to what I want for dinner... or how I’ll get through security with my 8-ounce lotion. It’s a lot to live in my mind. In a recent effort to...

Journaling: the gift you didn’t realize you needed until it’s experienced. Long ago, people would write letters to one another and document arduous journeys in leather-bound journals. It’s how much of our history was uncovered. Photos only capture a moment in time and...

It was supposed to be a simple ride on my e-bike. Just a short, post-school jaunt through the woods on a crisp Halloween afternoon. I had plenty of time to spare before meeting friends for drinks, and the fall weather was too perfect to pass up. But that simple ride...

For years I resisted the allure of the e-bike revolution, convinced it was just a shortcut for the lazy. A bike ride with the press of a button? How could that be real exercise? These were my thoughts, and likely the ones people have as I blow past them while riding...

We’re going on a bear hunt I’ve got my binoculars I’m not scared —“Bear Hunt” by Kiboomers Teaching preschoolers full time has been an enlightening experience for me on so many levels. One of the greatest lessons came through a child’s song. Sometimes you just have to...

They dip in and out All day long. Fridge opens, closes. Snack drawer empty. Dirty dishes dwell. Phone, friends, gym, work, sleep. Cars up, down driveway. Doors opening, closing all hours.  Dull music thumps. Late night laughter. They sleep like the dead. We share...

I am a woman of dichotomy. I like to move, but I can be a sloth in a heartbeat. I enjoy vegan and organic food, but could drive through a McDonald’s without a blink. I meditate, journal and yoga regularly, but also need deep house or funk music to take my body to...