I was 15 or 16 and experiencing my first bitter taste of heartbreak. I honestly don’t remember many of the details, except that it was the first time a boy had shattered my heart. He wasn’t wrong, and I probably deserved it. I was confident that he adored me, and I’m certain I took him … Continue reading Snowflakes & Heartbreak
Storytelling
Movie Star Mom
It was a lazy summer vacation day, and I was lounging in bed at the Airbnb we had rented in my favourite Ontario vacation destination: Prince Edward County. As I was scrolling through Facebook, an ad from Narcity, a local culture blog, caught my eye. Apparently, they were filming a scene for an upcoming movie … Continue reading Movie Star Mom
Lost & Found
Inspired by the first story featured on The Moth Radio Hour, May 23, 2023, which addressed a different – and much more valuable – musical item that was lost and later recovered. We were off on an adventure. Leaving our 4 kids for 1 glorious, adult-only, overnight in Canandaigua, NY. Driving roughly 4 hours to … Continue reading Lost & Found
Bearing Witness
Inspired by a writing challenge around the topic of: “a spiritual or religious experience” and also aligned to the theme of the Moth Radio Hour episode from 4/25/23, entitled “Bearing Witness.” My aunt Jill was a fascinating woman. My mom’s only sister, she abandoned her Wisconsin homeland for the Arizona desert, so I didn’t really … Continue reading Bearing Witness
That Convent Life
After adventuring around Europe for over two weeks, my girlfriends and I were feeling pretty confident about our ability to navigate the backpacking life. We’d mastered the Eurail system, found safe, and sometimes stunning, lodging in many cities across France, Germany and Switzerland. As our train pulled into the station in Venice, Italy, it was … Continue reading That Convent Life
Christmas in the City
In August, 2016 we moved our family from central Wisconsin to Toronto, Ontario. The preparations for the move were stressful on our marriage and our family. We were leaving a community we had built over the last 10+ years: our first house, the birth of our first child (and 2nd, and 3rd), our church and … Continue reading Christmas in the City
Traditions
I love the holiday season. And part of what I love are the many traditions our family has shared and passed on. And most of traditions included my grandmother, Gigi. From early on, my family would spend the weekend before Christmas at a hotel in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, where my sister and I performed in The … Continue reading Traditions
High Stakes, the battle of Safe & Right
Note: I took a pause from my Moth-inspired story writing to participate in a 21-day poetry challenge. Here's a sampling from my poetry book, Perfect Flawed Dreams, which should be available in the coming months. When my friend was sexually assaulted by a powerful, entitled superior, I was not a good friend. Instead of showering … Continue reading High Stakes, the battle of Safe & Right
My Little Canadian
It’s the early morning hours on the Saturday following the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, and we’re back in Wisconsin at my in-laws after a chaotic few days. I’m nursing a bit of a hangover and feeling thankful I passed out while putting our 3 kids to bed, instead of continuing in the revelry with my husband, … Continue reading My Little Canadian
Concerts from the Van
I had a bit of a love|hate relationship with my ballet school. My competitive nature and eagerness to please could leave me feeling either on cloud 9 – like the day I was the first in my age group to be tapped for the esteemed upgrade to pointe shoes… or in the gutter, like the … Continue reading Concerts from the Van
The [Unofficial] Moth Blog 