by Susan | Aug 5, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
The greatest joy in my life turns 20 today. Still my child, yet no longer a girl, but a curious, creative, courageous woman. I couldn’t be prouder of the person you’re becoming, your sensitivity, the way you see the world. Thank you for your humor, the...
by Susan | Jul 17, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Today is my father’s 83rd birthday. He retired from the Army in 1986 and continued to have a second career in emergency management retiring from that just weeks after 9/11. After catching up on years of lost sleep, dad began writing his memoirs. He wrote on and...
by Susan | Jul 9, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Hannah has been a jet setter this summer. She took a year of Arabic language her freshman year and ended up being invited by her Arabic professor to film the oral histories of Arab immigrants in the Columbus, Ohio area as part of a grant. As a cinema major, she jumped...
by Susan | Jun 28, 2019 | On My Mind
Two of my favorite things – a Gidget in the Lupines. She doesn’t like to sit still for very long. She had to be bribed with “cookies”.
by Susan | Jun 28, 2019 | On My Mind
Hannah and I went exploring the other day. We landed in Corea, Maine – the spot of one of Maine’s most picturesque Harbors. There’s a little art gallery called Chapter Two that I’d never been to but had heard about. This trip was my first visit, and...
by Susan | Jun 16, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Understand that it’s been a crazy week here. Between Hannah traveling internationally for the first time (and her second plane travel excursion) the Wyman’s Wildly Better work day at the WHRL’s new home, and just life, I’ve been doing...
by Susan | Mar 9, 2019 | Backyard Birds, On My Mind
Hannah once asked me what my spirit animal might be. Given my deep affinity for owls, I told her it would be an owl. “A small owl?” she asked. “No, a big ass owl, like a Great Gray,” I told her. Frankly, I’d want to be top of the food chain. However, the truth is, it...
by Susan | Mar 4, 2019 | On My Mind
Today is the second Monday snow day in a row. We woke to a winter wonderland. As ‘Noreasters go it was somewhat mellow dropping about 15″ of snow – the most we’ve had in one snowfall so far this year. Through the woods and over the pond, the...
by Susan | Jan 20, 2019 | Family, On My Mind
Hannah has been returned to college and I once again have an empty nest. Paul braved the storm for the trip, plotting and planning his route while I sat home and worried. It’s amazing how quickly the past month passed. And it was a wonderful time –...
by Susan | Dec 25, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
Another Christmas day is over. Although Hannah arrived home just a week ago, she still had final papers to complete and submit. It seems we pulled together this year’s Christmas together in just a few days. Bright and cold today – a short rise in...
by Susan | Dec 24, 2018 | On My Mind
The mad dash of Christmas preparations is over. My presents are wrapped – but don’t look in my office; the wrapping debris will wait for another day. After the debate of whether or not Die Hard is a Christmas movie, we’re settled in with a puzzle and...
by Susan | Dec 14, 2018 | On My Mind
The next leg of Operation Rescue Hannah begins tomorrow. I’ll make the 12-hour round-trip drive from my folks house in Pennsylvania to Granville, Ohio to bring her home for the holidays. I left Maine a few days early so I could spend time helping my dad organize...
by Susan | Nov 28, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
Today is mom’s birthday. What does one get Granny Gadget? Everything she does revolves around her family and taking care of them. She has little space for anything and she can purchase all the gadgets she wants. That’s where my Christmas Angel comes in....
by Susan | Nov 3, 2018 | On My Mind
Hannah has a habit of leaving me sticky notes here and there. Happy little notes that make me smile. Sometimes I find them on my computer. Other times they’re stuck in my planner. Sometimes they’re written to music or rhyme. Sometimes they reference and...
by Susan | Oct 9, 2018 | On My Mind
What a beautiful evening. A week ago I broke down and turned on the heat. Today – a whopping high of 71 degrees – it was warmer outside than in when I arrived home and I threw open the windows. One of the things I miss the most with the fading of summer is...
by Susan | Aug 26, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
What a whirlwind the last few days have been since Hannah finished work for the summer. Back-to-school shopping. Every outing with her seems like an adventure. We explored Cadillac Mountain – something we see from a distance on our end of the coast. Smoke from...
by Susan | Aug 5, 2018 | Family, On My Mind
She’s 19 today. Hannah – the brightest star in my universe. There are so many things I love about this young woman. Her big heart. Her willingness to stand up for what’s right. Her work ethic. Her wacky sense of humor. Her sharp mind. Her fondness for crazy socks....
by Susan | Jul 19, 2018 | On My Mind
When your girl has had a miserable day and comes home feeling blue, there’s only one thing to do. Go to your happy place. A few minutes in the salty breeze, wading in the frigid tide and you could see her anxiety deflate just a little. I’d do just about...
by Susan | Jun 27, 2018 | On My Mind
June is the month of lilacs and lupines. Each year I eagerly await the arrival of the lilacs. They last only a week to ten days, but oh, how I enjoy them while they’re showing. And so does Squeak. They give him good cover in the yard. The Yellow Swallowtail...
by Susan | May 21, 2018 | On My Mind
The weather cooperated and delivered a fabulous day for our first beach walk of the season. Two beaches, two walks with lunch out sandwiched in between. The water was icy and tepid in turns. The incoming tide icy, the outgoing flow comfortable on our toes. By...
