Beginning anew
I’m about to go to a wedding, coming up this weekend during Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year. The family member who is getting married is Jewish, but he is marrying a non-Jew and his wedding will be secular. It’s a second marriage for both the bride and groom, and though I don’t spend a ...
Liminal spaces
As long as I’m doing the re-run thing, here’s another story I read at “Spark Off Rose,” last October for the “Supernatural” spoken word show. Thank you to the producers of the show, particularly Mark Betancourt for working long-distance from New York on my story, and to Jessica Tuck and Karin Gutman for their encouragement ...
Expressing (wanna-be Chinese) motherhood
Since I’ve been on the road a lot this summer, I haven’t had enough time to write. So, in the mean time, here’s a personal story I read at the “Expressing Motherhood” spoken word shows at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood in January 2011. I told a story about my lame attempt at instilling ...
Make new friends, and keep the old
My children had more play dates than usual this summer. Part of this is because my son is entering kindergarten; his school has encouraged parents to have play dates to ease the transition, so that the first day of kindergarten feels is smooth and full of friendly reunions rather than tears. It makes sense, but ...
In Praise of Divorce
Several years ago I wrote an essay called “In Praise of Divorce” on a website that’s no longer active. This is an updated version of that essay. I was reminded of this topic when I read Lisa Belkin’s New York Times piece today on staying in an abusive marriage: http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/23/staying-in-an-abusive-marriage/?src=tp I had just turned 16 ...
Talk talk
About eight years ago, I lost my best friend. I don’t mean that she died. I mean that she and I weren’t friends anymore. How did it happen? I can’t explain it in short form. What I think happened is that we were both slammed with the paradigm shift that is having your first child ...
Bossypants vs the book I can’t name
So I just read two books in the last month, both by 40-ish women authors, both nonfiction, both at least somewhat about what it is like to be a working mother of small children. One was “Bossypants” by Tina Fey. The other I don’t want to name because I have been a fan of the ...
Celebrated Summer
So my husband asked me why I call this blog “Celebrated Summer.” And here’s the answer: it just popped into my head. But the reference is to the Hüsker Dü song by the same name, first released in 1984. Here’s the info if you want to listen to it or read about it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrated_Summer When ...
Endorphins for the endomorph
Note to my future selves: if ever I want to skip my mandatory exercise, don’t do it! Within 20 minutes of the walk I don’t want to take, particularly if I spent the afternoon riding the white horse of milky espresso drinks trying to catch that elusive happy buzz, I feel amazing! It might be ...
