books

My husband and I have been on a bit of a quest as of late. For several reasons that I won’t bore you with here, we are in search of a new church to join. A few weekends ago, we made our first visit to an Orthodox church here…

A few weekends ago, I had what I’ve described as a mini midlife crisis. Things with the kids were a mess, my husband was out of town again (to help with a building project on the family farm), and surrounded by the mess and bother of everyday life, I couldn’t…

As is usually the way with books I put on hold at the library, three of the novels I’ve been looking forward to reading all came in at the same time. (Why does it always happen that way?) I shot through Colson Whitehead’s newest book, “Harlem Shuffle,” in two…

Every few days, I go out to our Little Free Library and change the messages on the two side walls, which are covered in chalkboard paint. One of my missives reads: “My ‘summer body’ plans didn’t work out, but I’m killing my reading list. Take that, 2020!” And it’s…

After reading more than a few articles about how social media demolishes our attention span, prevents us from forming healthy real-world relationships, and causes higher-than-normal rates of depression, stress, and insomnia, I decided to cut way back on screen time. And you know what? I don’t miss Facebook and…

When I tell people I have multiple sclerosis, I usually get one of three responses: • “Oh, no! I feel so bad for you!” (Pity) • “Is that the one with the telethon?” (Confusion) • “I know all about that disease! My sister-in-law’s cousin’s college roommate has…

In “On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft,” as excellent a book about wordcraft as has ever been set to paper, Stephen King says, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” I’m inclined to agree. After all, no matter where you are, you have company if there’s a book at…

The past year has taken its toll on my digestive system. I’ve experienced alarming amounts of pain, bloating, diarrhea, and more fatigue than I normally experience from MS. All of these issues caused great stress both emotionally and physically, so it was no surprise when my…