There was a time not so long ago when I lived in a house that was constantly under various stages of construction. Sometimes there was a necessary home repair, and sometimes there was a new project. It seemed that there was always a slight haze of drywall dust in the air and an orange five gallon bucket full of stuff I might need sitting in the corner. There were putty knives, hammers, screw drivers, nails, screws, box cutters, electric drills, googles, masks…almost anythi

Raising two girls kept my house full of action, unexpected outbursts of Disney Princess songs, and what I have lovingly named “estrogen grenades.” There was always a faint smell of the complete inventory of Bath and Body Works, hair ties randomly found in every room and an odd amount of glitter that would hang in the air for years, only to be found at odd times in very odd places. My girls each had their own rooms and shortly after we moved in they decided to decorate and p

When I was a little girl my mom and her siblings would all bring their families together for holidays.  We’re talking Christmas, New Year’s, Memorial Day, 4th of July…you name it.  There were 6 siblings including my mom and, we would gather at someone’s house, have a potluck that looked like a grocery store exploded, and eat and laugh and enjoy being together.  My grandfather, the patriarch of the family, had 5 strong independent girls, but each of them placated him in his pr

One day at the ripe mature age of 17, I was running around with my friends.  There was this special place tucked back in the woods where you could cliff dive into the lake below.  With great bravado, I put on my swimsuit, hiked up to the top of the cliff and tamed my 1990’s style hairdo into a ponytail.  I was ready.  As I looked over the edge I couldn’t breathe.  It seemed to be 100’s of feet down, I couldn’t tell how deep the water was, and I wasn’t sure how exactly to jump

It was a surprise being a mom at the age of 20. Being a mom wasn’t a “party” kind of surprise, I always knew I wanted to be a mom, but being a mom while I wasn’t through college and didn’t have health insurance…SURPRISE!!! After 10 hours of trying to have a Wonder Woman labor, I found myself lying in a hospital bed holding a tiny baby being called “Mom.” Overwhelmed by the thoughts and feelings I was having, accepting that I was responsible for a life, I found myself also

It’s not that I planned on being pregnant at 19. I mean don’t get me wrong I wasn’t an “afterschool special” or anything. I was married and I eventually wanted kids, it just happened way before I was ready. As I struggled through diapers and breast-feeding and formula I soon realize that it wasn’t like it looked in the brochure. Every milestone came after much anticipation and provided instant relief of “Whew! Thank God I didn’t screw that up.” The time eventually came to sta

When I was a kid we would often spend holidays with my extended family. Not just Thanksgiving and Christmas, (although those were some of the best) but also Labor Day, Memorial Day and when pushed…Flag Day. My mom had 4 sisters and a brother and between all of them they had tons of kids, so when we all descended on my grandparents’ house it was like locusts. There was chatter and noise, and tons of hustle and bustle preparing food and allowing my mom and her siblings to catch

I grew up in a household with a charismatic, charming, entertaining brother who had a moral opposition to dead air space. He was infectiously fun, quite the contrast to my dark and serious personality, and would commandeer a room with his mere presence. His charisma did not allow me to have much of a chance to…well…talk. When I was 8 years old, I decided that I would start to help my mom make dinner. Helping my mom allowed me to learn to cook, but more importantly, it gave m

Smart phones have changed our lives. I mean sure, they allow us to carry around maps, an encyclopedia, a bible, a camera, news, weather, and if we so desire, the ability to play Tetris at stop lights. (But don’t do that…it’s illegal.) Smart phones let us stay in contact with everyone by text message, when all else fails an actual phone call, and who can forget the opportunities that smart phones provide to paint an exasperated picture of happiness on social media. Smart phon

There are certain special moments that young parents experience with their young children. There are first words, rolling over for the first time, first steps, and first days at school. There are so many milestones packed into only a handful of years that if you’re not careful you can get an almost historical whiplash that leaves you wondering where time went. One summer day when I was relishing the joy of being a stay at home mom to my 3-year-old and 1 year old daughters, a

At the ripe old age of 41 years old, I find myself in the position of planning a wedding. Although I admit there is very little actual “wedding planning” and much more “marriage planning” happening, I am without a doubt “planning”. As I look through pictures of white dresses and leaf through appetizer menus, I can’t help but wonder what I want this moment in time to look like. Weddings are a moment of promises and deeply felt intentions. Weddings are full of idealized visi

I spent the afternoon at a work party. Maybe party is too strong of a word…”gathering” may in fact be more appropriate. It was an afternoon spent with Doctors and Nurse Pactioners and highly educated, smart, fun, caring, sweet people. It was an afternoon we spent at the bowling alley. The Bowling Alley provided a chance to have a little fun, enjoy a little competitive spirit and drink beer at 4:00pm on a Sunday. There were the “adult” lanes and there were the “kid lanes”

Today my hometown lost a hero of sorts.  Not a hero with a cape and super powers, but a hero filled with courage, strength, and vibrant tenacity.  Today my hometown lost an educator that changed the lives of an entire community.  While the accolades of his performance and recognitions of his phenomenal heartfelt work are seen throughout our town, I can’t help but wonder what made this man extraordinary. I’ve heard stories upon stories of what Stephen Gussler accomplished on t

There I was sitting in a parking lot, soaking wet, listening to Siri tell me to turn in 2.2 miles. Obviously, something wasn’t right. I laid my head against the back of the seat and I felt like such a clueless idiot. How did I manage to get here without a problem but now I can’t get home?? Hello, my name is Michelle and I am directionally challenged. It’s not that I didn’t know where I was going; it’s just that I didn’t know how to get there. I knew what the end destinati

Last night I was invited to go out with a friend of mine. As I was getting dressed, I was feeling pretty good about the fact that I actually got to get dressed up and go out. It was nice to not have my head down and to get the opportunity to be in the world. My friend and I were meeting at a bar close to my house to see a band play. When we got there, I got to see something that I have never seen before. I’ve been to dance clubs before, but this was a different kind. Th