In my personal social media echo chamber, everyone is talking about how much 2016 sucked. I'm not disagreeing. So what do we do about that. Though there's no going back now, I tried anyway, and to my surprise uncovered a number of special little moments that I'd forgotten amidst this month's tweets about nukes and Israel. I share …
Category: South Dakota
Sensitive skin
I'm sitting in a coffee shop in downtown Colorado Springs. It's hailing. You know, like it does. There is light guitar and a sorrowful tenor playing on the stereo system. It's afternoon here, but evening in my brain and body. I try to keep my blog a friendly sort of personal. This has been a polite place …
The tomato slicer
I was reminded tonight of one of my first 'real' jobs in high school. I was one of, I don't recall exactly, perhaps ten or so locals who were selected to be sandwich artists at the very first Subway to arrive to my hometown. We were interviewed and selected amidst plywood, power tools and tarp, as the …
Shoe scuffs
I travelled nearly halfway across the country last week to sit on the end of a wooden bench in a shoe-scuffed middle school gym alongside a dozen middle school girls basketball players. Am I crazy? I should start by being honest; while I loved the sport, I was never that good of a player. My …
The Top 12
How do you begin to process a year of life? By looking through thousands of low-resolution cell phone photos, apparently. I leave 2015 with an odd feeling in my stomach and a lot to think about. It wasn't as though it was all perfect. But amidst so much hardship in our world, I feel uncomfortably grateful. …
Christmas Letter 2014: A Filterer’s Review
If you had a conversation with me in the last 1-3 years, you may have experienced the following: (1) I asked you a question immediately. i.e. "Jane! How are you? Tell me about your life!" (2) I answered your question with a question. i.e. "Hi Vanessa, how are you?" "Jane! How are you? Tell me about your life!" …
That one time I thought I was going blind.
That one time I started to go blind.
Places you travel 9.5 hours to see
In case your Monday needed a visual boost.
What a weekend.
November is approaching and Heat has taken note. It returned today, the stealthy bugger, to throw its last two cents in before the season of turkeys and garland and cranberry candles. To make an appearance before Cold arrives. Unbreakable Cold. It’s warm, yes, but windy. The red and oranges and yellows and greens are falling …
One veto allowed.
When my sister came home from Africa, it was like going on vacation. A constant party. Brunch. College. A night out on the town...every night. But really. We were reunited partners in crime, her and I. World, you oughta watch out, we said. We know how to have to fun. Relatively speaking. (Chicago friends, quit …
