Today is my first Mother’s Day without my mom. And listen… when I was a kid, I thought my mother was rough. Not mean. Just tough, sometimes strict, and always in your business. The kind of woman that could roll her eyes so hard it felt like a personal attack. Those eyes had power. But let me be clear… YOU were not allowed to roll your eyes back at her. If you valued your life, you kept that little attitude to yourself and mumbled under your breath where she couldn’t hear it. Like many moms, I think she also had bionic ears. That was a mommy super power. And my…
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The Perfect Saturday
The Perfect Saturday For a long time, I thought the perfect Saturday meant being everywhere. Clubs. House parties. Friends’ gatherings. If something was happening, I was there. Call me “Pat” — party all the time. Honestly, it fit. Home was just where I slept, changed clothes, and grabbed something to eat before heading back out. Even after that season slowed down, I didn’t. I was still moving — cleaning something, rearranging something, finding something to do. Sitting still just wasn’t part of the plan. When Everything Shifted About six months ago, something changed. Instead of filling every minute, I started letting a few minutes just be. At first, it felt…
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Christmas Is Over (And Mom Would’ve Approved)
This was our first Christmas without my mom — and Christmas is officially over. Letting the First Christmas Without My Mom Be What It Was This was our first Christmas without my mom, and it was the holiday we worried about the most. She gained her wings in June, and somehow it feels like she planned this Christmas in a way she knew we could manage. Still, Christmas showed up anyway. The day felt warm and easy. Laughter came naturally, without forcing itself, and the food followed — plentiful, comforting, and shared without rushing. The gifts felt thoughtful, and joy found its way in right when we needed it. Then,…
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It’s Almost Christmas, and I’m Not Emotionally Prepared for Another Turkey
It’s almost Christmas, and I’m going to be honest — I’m not emotionally prepared for another turkey. The only birds I want to hear about are the partridges in a pear tree. In fact, we didn’t even have turkey for Thanksgiving. By that point, we were already turkeyed out. So instead, we made pot roast — but some of the familiar sides were welcome to the party. Macaroni and cheese is mandatory. Of course, the same goes for sweet potato pie. Honestly, part of this goes way back to childhood. My father believed in getting the biggest bird possible and recycling it for days: turkey dinner, turkey sandwiches, even turkey…
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Thanksgiving Is Beautiful, It’s Over and It’s Exhausting
Family and friends celebrating at Thanksgiving
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The Sweetness of Memories – Thanks Sweet Potatoes
This Thanksgiving, I was assigned sweet potato duty — candied, baked, pies… you name it, I’m your girl. And somewhere between the mixing, stirring, double-checking the spices, and prepping and freezing everything, I found myself thinking back to past Thanksgiving kitchens. And if I’m honest, those kitchens were never quiet. They were loud.Lively.Full of people talking over one another. Doggies underfoot hoping to catch anything that falls. Folks running from the kitchen to the living room to see if their team scored a touchdown. Someone always asking where the nutmeg went. And everybody insisting their dish was the one the holiday couldn’t survive without. Those kitchens were crowded, warm, and…
