Columns

While living in upstate [Redbud] New York, or the snow belt, this Southern girl learned a few things about winter weather.

I absolutely dread flying. Traveling solo has its perks — you move at the beat of your own drum — but you also have to deal with sitting next to a stranger on a flight. Not bueno.

As the new year creeps in, I’ve come to the realization that I’ve actually read far more books than I anticipated. Making myself my own case study did the trick. Setting the bar low for my reading goal propelled me into success. I’ve always hyperfixated on reaching a number because…

Clouds grew dark and the soft pitter-patter of what the people of Oakville, Washington believed to be rain could be heard tapping against windows and dancing across rooftops. A summer storm was underway, and no one thought much of it… at first.

Occasionally, I will introduce a topic of conversation that most assuredly will be received with questioning looks because I often forget everyone is not as nerdy as me and therefore not as apt to randomly research obscure subjects as myself. For instance, one such topic is the story of the…

The chill of autumn was finally in the air, however briefly, and it got me thinking about my favorite spooky books to read. Last year, I wrote about some of my favorite scary movies, so this year, I decided to compile a list of a few of my favorite books…

Scents carry a significant amount of memories. I’m not just saying this because I believe it — it’s scientifically proven. Smell is the only sense directly linked to our limbic system, where all our memories and emotions are stored. That’s why the smell of crayons immediately takes me back to…

Have your eyes ever scanned the horizon and lighted on a turkey vulture? Have you ever been driving innocently along only for your nose to suddenly be assaulted by the smell of rot, your eyes forced to take in its accompanying pack of roadside vultures? Have you ever considered what…

This past Sunday, I attended the memorial service of my late friend. Even now, that sentence feels foreign. If you had asked me 10 years ago whether this would be my reality, I would’ve laughed. I never imagined a future that involved burying childhood friends.

I’ve officially hit the age when people feel entitled to ask if I ever plan to get married or have children. The latest cherry on top? Someone told me, “You know, early menopause is a thing.” I might as well be put in a coffin already.

According to the vet, my dog Watson is a senior, so he now has to get a physical about 256 times a year.