Word from the West

Early on in our self-isolation, Dan and I decided to work through the American Film Institute’s Top 100. We figured this little project would help make sure that we didn’t emerge from our quarantine cocoon having only rewatched The Office a dozen times. (So far, we’ve only watched The Office one time through.) …And just […]

Hello from a chalk circle drawn on the street in front of our house! Our neighbor Lori hatched a great plot to bring our community together. Everyone perched in their own circles to share a beer, some music, and some slightly shouted conversation during our socially distant block party. It was the first time I’d […]

I am accustomed to a life very full of live artistic experiences, such as plays and concerts. Though I completely respect the need to ban these gatherings during the pandemic, I have been feeling their absence. Zoom meetings and YouTube videos simply don’t cut it. Recently an artist I adore, Aoife O’Donovan, livestreamed a concert […]

Surprise! I self-printed a chapbook of my poetry. It has been a dream of mine — since fourth grade or so — to have a book of my own poetry. I’m very good at making excuses and choosing perfection over done-ness. This chapbook, The Moon in Seven Jars, is nowhere *near* perfect (I have discovered […]

In a stroke of genius, we decided to have Thanksgiving in April. After all, we have so much to be grateful for. Our family and friends are healthy, including my one-week-old nephew, James. Dan’s job is secure (as secure as any job can be right now, anyway) and my own job is trundling along. We […]

While Dan and I were making dinner, the doorbell rang. Dan popped downstairs and returned with packages he insisted were for me, though I wasn’t expecting anything. To call the unwrapping process intriguing would be an understatement. I was fascinated by every new layer, finally delving deep enough to discover artisan chocolates hidden within. Not […]

Welcome to another roundup of ways I’m keeping myself entertained during the pandemic! (Find volume 1 here, should you be so bored.) My Best Dude We’ve always been a great team, but I’ve been delighted with how well Dan and I have weathered this thing together so far. (Below: Dan killing time with his drone. […]

From time to time someone will mention my blog, and I always tell them the same thing: that my primary audience is my grandmother, Hazel. She loves to hear about Dan and my adventures in Colorado, and she especially loves to see photos, so this blog is mostly a vehicle for sharing stories and pictures […]

As the weather has warmed up, I’ve been taking more and more mini-hikes on my own. The dark, cold winter can be hard on my mental health, and a decent hour of morning sunshine works wonders. Often I travel no further than North Shields Ponds, a mile from my house, where there’s a short, flat […]

Hurray, my very first hoarfrost! In Ohio it was fairly common for a cold rain to freeze and glaze all of the trees, but I’d never come across this unique crystalline structure before. What follows are some of Dan’s best photos of our glittering hoarfrost. (Thank you, Dan!) Next time we are lucky enough to […]