You are a young woman. You are a middle-aged man. You are childless. You are a mother of five. You live in Cambodia. You live in Chicago. You are a marketing professional. You stay at home with your kids. You want to be a writer when you grow up. I met one of you in [...]
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Do I contradict myself? Very well then I contradict myself, (I am large, I contain multitudes.) – Walt Whitman, “Song of Myself” I spent this past weekend at a remarkable place, studying with a remarkable teacher, with two remarkable women by my side. I learned so much about myself, about writing, about the ways my body [...]
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This week’s Correctionists post features a pet peeve rather than an actual error: I’m not sure if the creator of this sign knows the actual spelling of the word “cruise.” I suspect he does. But it almost irks me more if he willingly chose to spell it incorrectly. Why spell something wrong on purpose? Is [...]
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I’m honored today to feature an interview with Linda Pressman, author of the newly released Looking Up: A Memoir of Sisters, Survivors, and Skokie. Thank you, Linda, for taking the time to offer such thoughtful insights into your book and the process of writing it. — When did you decide to tell this story? How long [...]
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With tremendous humor and heart, Linda Pressman tells the story of growing up as the sixth of seven daughters of two Holocaust survivors in Looking Up: A Memoir of Sisters, Survivors, and Skokie, her recently released debut. Linda, of the funny and heartwarming blog, Barmitzvahzilla, was my first blogging friend. She and I met through a [...]
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It is my pleasure today to offer you a guest post by Wolf Pascoe of Just Add Father. I’ve only known Wolf, a father, physician, and writer, for a few months, but he swiftly earned himself a spot in my Google Reader with his insightful, beautifully written posts on the problems and prospects of parenting. [...]
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Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a holiday when we honor our war dead and, more generally, our deceased loved ones. (And when, less poignantly, we kick off the summer travel season with barbecues and beer.) I’m spending today with Husband and the kids. We’ll probably take in our town’s parade with its [...]
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I have long been a fan of Meagan Francis and her blog, The Happiest Mom, where she dishes on juggling life as a working mom of five (!) and dispenses advice on staying sane while doing it. So I was thrilled when Meagan teamed up with the editorial team at Parenting magazine to bring her [...]
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So I think I might owe all of you an apology. Do you remember how, with perhaps not a small amount of self-righteousness, I spent a fair amount of time talking in the past about my aversion to new technology? In one post, I even wrote: And it’s not as though I oppose technology [...]
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As I use most of my remaining synapses to figure out how to make lemonade out of some pretty sour lemons, I decided to borrow an idea from Lindsey and Denise and offer my answers to one of Vanity Fair‘s monthly questionnaires. So, here goes, folks. I solemnly swear to return to our regularly scheduled [...]
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One year ago today, I published my first blog post. For the first few months, I posted every day. Then I started posting six days a week. Then five. Then three. Now whenever. Those all felt right and this feels right too. For now, at least. I’m not sure what initially drew me to blogging. [...]
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Jack’s comment on Monday’s post was so intriguing, I knew I needed to hear more. I was much obliged when he agreed to share his story with us here at Motherese. Please enjoy Jack’s post and then stop by to visit him at his place, Random Thoughts, where you will be welcomed by one of [...]
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Hi there. Remember me? It’s been awhile since I’ve been here. And there’s one big reason for that. Or, actually, one pretty small one. I’m pregnant, you see. 16 weeks or so. And this little creature has been kicking my butt for the past couple of months. Lots of nausea. Two big scares. Weeks of [...]
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Today I am pleased to offer you a guest post by Judy of Just One Foot. Judy is a writer, wife, mom of four, and amputee of six years. At Just One Foot, Judy writes lyrically and eloquently about motherhood, personhood, partnership, and friendship. I am grateful to her for offering this piece – one [...]
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Just last week I was singing the praises of Gale at Ten Dollar Thoughts, the inspiration for my post on choice. At Ten Dollar Thoughts, Gale writes articulate, reflective, and powerful posts on motherhood, womanhood, and personhood. I always enjoy her writing and her thinking and was delighted when she agreed to do a house [...]
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Have you ever been in the middle of watching a video on YouTube when it suddenly stops playing and a single word fills the frame? Buffering. I’m no tech whiz and I’m not exactly sure what buffering means. What I think it means, what it seems to mean, is that the data is moving from [...]
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Finding balance is elusive. Heck, defining balance is elusive. It occurs to me that balance – like happiness, or presence – might be one of those terms that falls under the Potter Stewart “I know it when I see it” standard. Yup, that’s it, I think: I don’t know how to define balance, but I [...]
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Today it is a real pleasure to welcome to Motherese Bruce Dolin of Privilege of Parenting. A clinical psychologist and parent of two sons, Bruce combines his professional and personal experience with his knowledge of film, philosophy, literature, and art to offer powerful daily posts on how we might become our own best selves through [...]
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…I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Moorish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to [...]
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Once upon a time there was a girl. A brand new mom of two. Her teaching career on pause, she stayed at home with her newborn and 20-month-old sons. She loved those boys. She loved her Husband. She had a lucky life. She knew she did. But she felt sad a lot of the time. [...]
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To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable; and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly… to listen to stars and buds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to await occasions, hurry never… this is [...]
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I’ve been thinking a lot about happiness lately. Throughout our Raising Happiness book club and beyond, I thought about what makes me happy and when I’m happiest. And of course visions of chubby baby cheeks and Botticellian toddler curls danced in my head. As did cuddling with Husband. Sleeping late. Reading novels. Eating Extreme Moose [...]
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Lesson Four of Big Little Wolf’s sensational style series at Divorced Women Online introduces us to the importance of accessories in personalizing an ensemble. According to Big Little Wolf, “Accessories should enhance your appearance, make sense with your style, and tell your stories.” Emphasizing the love of the French for quality and individuality, Wolf focuses [...]
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I have to admit: I was initially skeptical of lesson three in Big Little Wolf’s fabulous French fashion series at Divorced Women Online. An entire fashion lesson devoted to scarves? Really? But once I studied her advice and completed my homework, I was persuaded. According to Big Little Wolf, “[i]f you purchase just one accessory [...]
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I’m over at An Attitude Adjustment today, reflecting on Freudenschade, that prickly tendency to feel bad when something good happens to someone else. Please click on over to read my guest post and then stay awhile to check out some of Jana’s thoughtful and thought-provoking essays. Thanks, Jana, for welcoming me to your space today. [...]
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Today it is my pleasure to offer you a thought-provoking guest post from Jana of An Attitude Adjustment. Jana and I first “met” in the comments section of Motherlode, a locale from which I have since fled, seeking kinder, gentler pastures in the bosom of my blogging community, but where she remains, honorably defending mothers [...]
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During Sunday afternoon’s precious double nap, I sat at my desk, wrangling with WordPress, trying to format Katy’s guest post to have it ready to publish on Monday morning. My Internet connection was creeping its way along at speeds I haven’t seen since the early days of dial-up. I felt frustrated. I felt angry. I [...]
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I’m on the road today. You can find me musing about my motivations for blogging over at Christine’s wonderful blog, Coffees and Commutes. Please check out my post and then stick around to read some of Christine’s wonderful reflections on her life as a working mom trying to balance her family, her job, and herself. [...]
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Today it is my pleasure to welcome my buddy Liz of …but then I had kids to Motherese for a neighborly chat. I met Liz – like so many of my other favorite blogging buddies – through Momalom’s Five for Ten and I have been greedily devouring her posts ever since. The word that first [...]
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Guilt Written
Jun 09
Since my post last week on searching for a bloggy balance, I’ve been buffering, trying to find a way to stay connected, all the while making room in my life for the other things that make me happy and nourish my spirit. Your comments last week – on the blog and via e-mail – in [...]
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