Make the Most of Your Free Time by Making

Yesterday I went to a painting class. It was an en plein air painting class held at Forstall Art Center in Birmingham and taught by local artist Amy Peterson. En plein air is an artsy way to say “outside,” so it was safe and easy to distance from the other students since Forstall held it … Continue reading Make the Most of Your Free Time by Making

Lipstick is Life

Lipstick is life. At least it’s my key to having something resembling a normal life these days. I’ve always loved lipstick. When I was a small, small child, and we lived with my grandparents, I remember seeing all of Granny’s lipsticks laid out in a row on her small dressing table by the window. They … Continue reading Lipstick is Life

Eating Trash for Supper

Last night we ate the trash for supper. And we liked it! No, we haven’t resorted to dumpster diving for our dinner. Let me explain. When the pandemic hit, I dove mouth first into the comfort foods — chips, casseroles, baked goods. For some reason I went down a potted meat hole lined with Vienna … Continue reading Eating Trash for Supper

Time Flies When You’re Not Having Fun

It’s Election Day, y’all. By now you’ve decided how you plan to vote, and you may have already voted. There’s no point in me writing about the election today, or trying to change anybody’s mind one way or the other, or jumping all up on my soapbox to preach at you like a twenty-first century … Continue reading Time Flies When You’re Not Having Fun

The Uses of Adversity

The Uses of Adversity. That’s what Granny always said she’d call her autobiography when she wrote it. Unfortunately, she never did. But that title sticks with me, and I think about it quite often. The Uses of Adversity. Seven and a half months ago when I wrote this post followed by this post about being … Continue reading The Uses of Adversity

I Love to Ride My Bicycle

Learning to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage. You move up from the safety of three wheels to the precarious-looking two. Maybe you have training wheels to start, but it’s not too long before you’re off and running … er, riding. And those two wheels are where you spend a huge part of … Continue reading I Love to Ride My Bicycle

Anticipation: The Key to Joie de Vivre

Hey friends! After a month-long pity party during which time I couldn’t think of a single thing to write that wasn’t (a) whiney or (b) bitchy or (c) hateful, your girl is back. I know y’all don’t want to read that crap, so I won’t write it! After all, this ain’t therapy and I ain’t … Continue reading Anticipation: The Key to Joie de Vivre

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

Think warm thoughts. Think cool thoughts. Lie down and put a pillow on your stomach. Growing up, if I complained about being cold or hot or not feeling well, Mama would usually reply with one of these phrases. I would try to think hard about something that fit the situation, maybe Granny’s fireplace or the … Continue reading Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

The Nightlife Ain’t No Good Life

It’s been a helluva week. My car broke down, and I had to walk the rest of the way to work. I passed a murky pool by some rundown apartments and saw a sunken Tonka dump truck barely visible in the green water. By the time I got halfway to my office it was getting … Continue reading The Nightlife Ain’t No Good Life