Blog Posts

[It’s Wednesday morning and I’m reeling. Vacillating between disbelief and rage. Physically unwell. For about a nanosecond, I thought...

It’s been a bit of a heavy week here at the mermaid cottage. My attempt to lighten it up, and provide a crowd favorite, is this latest in...

“My poor mother, who was both a terrorist and a child.” Anne Lamott This perfect gem, from one of my favorite authors, so beautifully...

It’s been about two months since my withdrawal to work on some radical self-care and a major attitude adjustment. Apparently, my Spidey...

What happens when your incurable optimism results in profound disappointment? When your Herculean efforts to remain patient and positive...

As I enter my fourth week of extremely limited movement thanks to my latest gift from the Universe, my gratitude list is topped by my...

[I’d just begun reworking this older piece prior to my recent dog walking disaster. There truly are no coincidences. My enthusiastic...

It’s so easy to be positive when the metaphorical sun is shining. Or at least peeking out on the horizon. Or even when the brutal storm...

My little buddy and I were both in high spirits as we set out for a walk Sunday morning. His walks are the highlight of his days, and I...

In a typical mid-century Italian American family, introspection was not a thing. Why would you think, let alone talk, about feelings?...

This week I was remembering the short-lived experiment in which the CWP attended a private Episcopal school for third and part of fourth...

[Things have been a bit on the grim side here lately, so I’m sharing a lighter piece that I wrote a while back. I was initially hesitant...

My lists have proven to be the hands-down crowd pleaser to date, so this week I'm indulging my obsession. Five Things I Did for The First...

[Instead of divulging all the gory details, I’ll just say that the last ten days or so have been one of those periodic mid-terms that the...

An examination of my journals over the last decade (something I’m not brave, or masochistic, enough to do) would reveal that easily one...

It’s that time again. Discussing anything related to clinical narcissism and narcissistic abuse can make me feel dangerously exposed (not...

No doubt I still have a way to go, but I’m taking a minute to marvel at the distance I’ve traveled emotionally over the past several...

If you've been reading, you know that gratitude has become a cornerstone of my days and my unceasing paean to the Universe. Ironically,...

I just got in last night (not in the morning—it seems I need to pay a bit more attention to detail) from my long-awaited, outstanding...

[Please note: There will be no post next week (April 25th) as I’ll be on a long anticipated trip. It’s my intention to resume posting May...