Tag Archives: life

Disaster Adjacent (Eavesdropping Edition)

Posted on September 6, 2017 by

Time: 1:00p.m. Temperature: 109 & rising I was in Trader Joe’s for last minute holiday weekend supplies. I don’t usually notice conversations going on around me in Trader Joe’s as I squint at my list, trying to remember what I … Continue reading →

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116 Degrees (T-Rex & Gladioli Edition)

Posted on September 3, 2017 by

Early days of 4th grade for the boy coincide with consecutive days of triple digit heat for valley dwellers, a box turtle possibly on a hunger strike because I won’t put her in her outdoor arena in triple digit heat, … Continue reading →

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Summer Diary

Posted on August 8, 2017 by

  Not my rash! Finally. Fire breath. Thank you, GOT. I see you, arm muscle.  #workingout6weeksstraight Muscles missing. Hijacked in the night, IMO. So what? I have brie. Total eclipse of sun predicted. My prediction? Revision, revision, submissions, submissions….But only … Continue reading →

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Star Wars vs. Sports (Panic Attack Edition)

Posted on July 21, 2017 by

I received an email late yesterday afternoon from my son’s summer camp with this subject line: FRIDAY SPORTS DAY. Meaning, send him to camp in a jersey emblazoned in a sports decal. Last Friday was: STAR WARS DAY An easy … Continue reading →

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The New Now

Posted on July 12, 2017 by

I closed my laptop and asked my waitress, Lila, why she was clearly having a rough day. She started talking to me about her mom. I almost dropped my glass of lemonade. Lila’s mom rivals mine and I didn’t think … Continue reading →

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4th Fireworks (“Shh!” Edition)

Posted on July 7, 2017 by

Happy 4th! This:  This splendor in this country: Here, they viewed this: Our 4th?   This: Visiting family, as we were in the middle of watching ‘Moana’, I cried: OMG TIME FOR FIREWORKS. And my FIL brought us here, to … Continue reading →

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Vacationing Hypocrite (Monterey Edition)

Posted on June 28, 2017 by

My son and I kicked off his summer vacation with a road trip north, first stop: Monterey’s Cannery Row–breezes that had us in our hoodies within seconds of stepping out of the minivan, views of the bluey bay, an aquarium, … Continue reading →

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Where I Discovered Poetry Last Weekend

Posted on May 25, 2017 by

Here: And here: How my family inspired me last weekend? Via this: And this: And this: What it feels like to finish a pre-mini-vacation writing goal and move to the next? This: Came down with the flu upon returning from family shenanigans. However, today … Continue reading →

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Inspiration (Mother’s Day Edition)

Posted on May 15, 2017 by

What inspiration looks like. Feels like. That guy, reading me his MDay card.

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MAY DAY (BLOOMING LATE EDITION)

Posted on May 4, 2017 by

On May Day! May Day! May Day! (a few days late, but—-) 90+ degrees today, again. My Spring yard is shriveling. I thought this wouldn’t happen until next month. Silly me! When the Arctic is melting! Doh. The box turtle and the … Continue reading →

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Coffee Kick & Go (Tremble Edition)

Posted on April 12, 2017 by

It may be poetry month in the USA, but here at PB Writes the author was up late revising her MG novel, prepping it for the agent requesting a read. This sweet, cool and sunny spring morning–after creating pancakes-secreted-with-carrot-puree for the boy, feeding … Continue reading →

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SCBWI-LA Writers & Illustrators Day 2017 (Links Edition)

Posted on March 20, 2017 by

I was asked by SCBWI-LA to write about my experience at the recent WID. The piece is up on the Kite Tales blog. 1, 2, 3: LINK. Such a luxury for me to discard certain hats (taxi-mama, chef of sorts, … Continue reading →

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Healing By Degrees (FB Edition)

Posted on February 18, 2017 by

“What wound did ever heal but by degrees?” —-WS, Othello  I’m talking Snapchattish-brief degrees. My impatience won out. I weeded Facebook ‘friends’ after the election and the first peaceful march–in which I marched, peacefully, surrounded by like minds. After this weeding and … Continue reading →

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Hearts

Posted on February 14, 2017 by

Just. So. Simply. Timely. And simply nice.

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On Rejection

Posted on December 9, 2016 by

Recently I was lucky enough to have a conversation with someone I deeply respect and I was moaning a little about rejections I’ve received lately. The person suggested I stop calling them ‘rejections’ and refer to them instead as ‘No … Continue reading →

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Turkey Day Craze

Posted on November 26, 2016 by

I may as well have woken up in a luxurious spa-hotel, expecting breakfast in bed, or morning tea on an ocean-view patio, sipping from real china in a froofy dressing gown, in any case a stress-free morning despite it being Thanksgiving and I … Continue reading →

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Dug Out

Posted on November 21, 2016 by

Eons ago my wisdom teeth came out far easier than this morning’s Tooth #4, which my dentist described as having a curved root, meaning: curve-ball for what should have been a pretty quick procedure. ‘See?’ my dentist said. He twisted my liberated tooth … Continue reading →

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Island Infusion

Posted on October 24, 2016 by

Recently a boat deposited me on Santa Rosa Island for a few days, one of a handful of remote scapes comprising the Channel Islands National Park . I traveled with a geologist, an art dealer and two canvas artists who … Continue reading →

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Boo On Drugs

Posted on October 6, 2016 by

I wrote in a frenzy from 10 a.m. to 1:00p.m., then lay down for a nap before zooming to fetch my 3rd grader from school, but my iPhone was on mute, so I didn’t hear the alarm, but I did hear, … Continue reading →

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Fres-yes? (Wild Kratts Edition)

Posted on September 28, 2016 by

The Wild Kratts are based in Canada. In addition to their TV shows, which are broadcast all over the world, they occasionally venture over the border–mostly into eastern states and the mid-west–to entertain select child-filled crowds with their live show. The energetic brothers have … Continue reading →

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Seasonal Conundrums

Posted on August 14, 2016 by

Researching summer camps for my 8 year old, round about last March/April, I became frustrated: Sports camp in triple digit heat? No. Great white shark and hammerhead shark sightings along our southern coast. Surf camp? No. Science Camp? He loves … Continue reading →

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O Summer!

Posted on August 5, 2016 by

I’ve been quiet since May, after a brief, powerful writer’s retreat. I’ve been busy this summer with what the retreat inspired: Writing. Revising. Writing. Revising a new short story, one screaming for edits of late. It’s almost ready for submission. Compiling … Continue reading →

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Remember the Bunnies

Posted on May 5, 2016 by

WRITER’S RETREAT! Oh, that’s long over now. ‘Tis a distant dream. T’was  2 1/4-ish days of nothing-but-revising, surrounded by foliage, sculpture/fountains and wild bunnies with super white tails. Sequestered in a simple room of my own with a nun’s bed, I … Continue reading →

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Business As Usual, Please

Posted on July 27, 2015 by

My dad passed away last September, although ‘passed away’ sounds too ‘death-lite’ for the actual event. If you’ve never been at the bedside of someone moving on, all I can say is, it’s probably not possible to brace yourself for the experience. Try … Continue reading →

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Breaks

Posted on April 6, 2015 by

What I love about Spring Break? For a week I am Fun Mama–instead of: get dressed, brush your teeth, grab your Spidey hoodie, let’s go, go, go, homework, karate, shower time!, etc. It’s nice to be all: Ooooh—let’s scooter around … Continue reading →

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