2025 was unexpected. Let’s start with the hard things. We lost two special men—Bill Casper, my grandpa-like neighbor, on May 7, and Tom Bucher, my grandpa, on June 2. And in between, on May 12, I got a text from Devon saying, “No need to worry,” followed by, “I think I ruptured my Achilles.” It … Continue reading
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3 Light Things, #2: Grandpa-isms, Measuring Success, and Consignment Plants
Welcome back to 3 Light Things, an essay series inspired by my mom’s suggestion that I should “…start writing funny things again.” 3 Light Things is my attempt to cultivate an awareness of the light things in my pocket of the world. Last week I researched definitions of light. This is my favorite: an area … Continue reading
3 Light Things, #1: Jalapeños, Eat Pray Love, and Teacup
My mom called me on Tuesday and told me I should start writing funny things again. Her innocuous request toes the line between undue pressure and wholesome motivation. Regardless, I quickly started hunting for ‘funny things’ like they were Easter eggs. It’s a good idea though. When weighing the pros and cons of writing more … Continue reading
Safer-at-Home: Days 1-14
You’ve likely seen the advice: Act like you already have Covid-19. I find this funny. It’s genuinely good advice, don’t get me wrong, but as a mild hypochondriac, that’s already my M.O. No part of me thinks I actually have C-19, but I expect to get it. When I go outside, I assume people are … Continue reading
Property Ownership | As Told by Landlady Laura
As many of you know, Steve and I bought a duplex in Menomonie that’s three blocks from our local co-op and two blocks from Culvers—dreamy proximity when paired with self-control. We closed on Friday, October 18, 2019. The house was built in 1875, making it 145 years old. Both units have one bathroom and two … Continue reading
Spiritual By Invitation: My Experience With Death and The Afterlife
Sadly, 2019 and 2020 started similarly—sudden, unexpected loss. On January 2, 2019, we lost Peter Magolda, my hilarious and brilliant grad school professor. On January 1, 2020, we lost Grandma Mary, Steve’s bright, confident, and devoted Grandma. I’m not religious, but I am spiritual—less by choice and more by invitation Since I can remember, my … Continue reading
To The College Gals Who Show Up
August third was my 10,000th day of life. Less sentimental, more arbitrary. Interesting nonetheless. In more conceivable terms, I’m nearly 27.5 years old. And much to Steve’s dismay, I refer to the 27-29 year-old range as my ‘late 20s.’ My late 20s feel different than my early 20s—beyond just drinking less and getting paid more. … Continue reading
Euro Trip II: Pre-Trip Thoughts & Thinks
“The fact that I will be walking around the streets of Cork on Wednesday is incredibly surreal.” Same, girl. Same. That’s a line from my very first blog! Published 2,287 days ago on December 31, 2012. I remember being anxious the night before I left for my semester abroad. More than six years later, as I … Continue reading
Winter Schminter: This Is a Good Season of Life
Heya, people. It’s been seven incredibly quick (and outrageously snowy) months since my last post. This winter has pummeled blessed us with SO much snow—Steve says he didn’t sign up for the mountains of snow outside—but alas, we’re making the best of it. (We have snow other choice.) But in all honesty, he can’t really complain. … Continue reading
Our First Month Living in Menomonie, WI
We live across the street from a Dairy Queen. I think it’s dangerously close, but Steve loves ‘sweet treats’ and has the metabolism of a 10-year-old boy, so the pros outweigh the cons. On Monday, June 25 we started the 1,023-mile drive from NY to WI. The first day, we drove from Syracuse, NY to … Continue reading
a beautiful world. 