Published inHuman Parts·PinnedMember-onlyWhy I’m Always on the Lookout for a Good Set of Deer LungsYou never forget your first pair — In the fall, many New Englanders dress in camouflage and skip scented products like soap and deodorant. They’re getting up early to climb up into a tree with a gun or a bow in the hopes that they can shoot a deer. I am not one of these people. But…Education7 min readEducation7 min read
Published inHuman Parts·PinnedMember-onlyHow A Chicken Turned My Mom Into a Secret DemocratIn Memory of Natalie Portman the Chicken, a Rooster — Some stories need exaggeration to make them interesting. This one doesn't. Every word is true. The Human Babies My friend Kelly and I were pregnant at the same time. Our babies grew to be soybean-sized, then avocado-sized, and then spaghetti squash-sized. We had the same due date and figured our babies would be…Family7 min readFamily7 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·PinnedMember-onlyThere Is A Small Bone In The Center Of Your HeartMost people have never even heard of it. — Your heart is a muscle in the center of your chest. It pumps blood through tubes that travel to all parts of your body. Inside your heart is a small, teardrop-shaped bone. Most people don’t know about this bone. The students in my high school biology class had never heard…Education6 min readEducation6 min read
Published inHuman Parts·PinnedMember-onlyYou’re Gorgeous! You’re Hideous! Let’s Scream!Adventures with weird birds — I was at this art gallery on Cape Cod and there were these huge black and white images of feathers. They were printed on this creamy-textured paper that you just wanted to rub between your fingers. I was very pregnant and the skin on my feet was pulled so taut…Creativity5 min readCreativity5 min read
Aug 22Member-onlyFinding Joy In Your Own Special Fecal PlumeAnd also whales. Growing up on a farm makes you think about poop differently than most people. I grew up on a farm, and one of my resulting talents is that I am great at sniffing out all different kinds of poop. Cow, chicken, horse, pig, dog — they are…Psychology4 min readPsychology4 min read
Aug 12Member-onlyEverybody Lies About Hot DogsAnd why Aristotle can suck it. When I was pregnant the first time, everyone — everyone — predicted I would have a boy. My mom explained it like this: “People think you’re cool. People think boys are cool. So people think you will have a boy.” Ok, mom. I learned…Psychology5 min readPsychology5 min read
Jul 28Member-onlyFill Your Bowl with CherriesThe ties that bind the War of 1812 to chainsaw grease to a peach pit. Tonight at dinner, I sliced a peach and put it in a bowl on the table. My husband is camping on a glacier in Alaska this week, so dinner at our house has been casual…Psychology6 min readPsychology6 min read
Published inHuman Parts·Jul 24Member-onlyIt’s a Wet, Hot Zucchini SummerA contemplation on the economics of summer hobbies. In May I invested in four baby zucchini plants from a greenhouse. Each one cost $6.00, which felt like a lot, but sometimes the intoxicating smell of a greenhouse in springtime makes me loose with my money. When I got home, I…Nature7 min readNature7 min read
Jun 18Member-onlyTasting Notes from the Summer Buddies Tea PartyI’ll have the hose water special, please. On Thursday, my son came home from his last day of kindergarten with a backpack full of art projects, worksheets, and flashcards of word lists and math facts to practice over the summer. …Parenting3 min readParenting3 min read
Feb 25Member-onlyMy Secret Cockroach SuperpowerTap tap tap…I think you’re going to be ok. I share my office with about a dozen Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches. They live in a small glass tank between my Bluetooth speaker and a box of K-cups. As far as officemates go, they’re not that bad. …Mental Health8 min readMental Health8 min read
