She of Three

Def Leppard has been an important part of my life since I was a young girl. It's the first band I called “my own,” the band that saved me during occasions in my life when I needed respite and rescue.

To me, Def Leppard has always been legendary. Read more.

It’s been twenty years since my mother died. Twenty years is a long time. Long enough that I can carry on with my life most days, as if my whole world hadn’t gone up in flames. But not so long that I can erase the horror of it. Not so long that... Read more.

When fall blankets the earth with gold- and rust-colored leaves, and sprays the aroma of chimney smoke through the brisk air, I partake in my annual tradition of watching Gilmore Girls.

Those who know, know. For those who don’t,... Read more.

The arrival of spring always reminds me of my grandmother. When the threat of frost is in the rearview, the stems of dormant bulbs begin to reemerge through cracks in the soil, and the days grow warmer and longer, I fondly recall childhood... Read more.

The season is changing. The retreating sun ushers in longer nights. Trees sway in the cool breeze, their brittle branches grazing and tapping on windows. Leaves have started to turn and fall, crunching underfoot, as crops bear their final fruits. Fewer birds dot the sky as the air, redolent with the... Read more.

I have tinnitus. Scratch that. I suffer from tinnitus. Because every day is a struggle to regain control of my sanity and the life I once had. I’ve lived with intense, high-pitched ringing and hissing in my left ear for the past seventeen years. It has... Read more.

The season of New Year’s resolutions has dawned. A time to reflect. To recognize shortcomings from the year past and apply lessons to the year ahead. The goal? Self-improvement. Eat healthier, exercise more, lose weight, save more, spend less, quit smoking, get organized, stop procrastinating. Truth be told, I don’t believe in resolutions. Read more.

I’m not big on birthdays. I’ve never been one to make a fuss about it. The idea of people fawning over me makes me uncomfortable and self-conscious. I have no issue spoiling others on their birthdays, planning their celebrations, showering them with gifts; in fact, I enjoy it. I just don’t prefer to be on the... Read more.

I love Halloween. Second to Christmas, it’s my favorite holiday. Every October, when the leaves reveal their true selves in hues of burgundy and orange, and the scent of fireplace embers perfume the air, I decorate my home with a spooky graveyard scene.

Outside, a giant black widow spider dangles from the center of her web that puts her nightly catch of insects and other creatures on display as if it were a museum suspended... Read more.