Apparently I am drawn to plants that are dramatic, resilient, and a little misunderstood. Cleome (pictured above) explodes into fireworks, throws seed everywhere, and surprises you years later. Passionflower looks almost alien, feeds Gulf fritillary butterflies, and then rewards you with maypops. Datura has enormous moonlit flowers with a complicated reputation. Castor bean has tropical … Continue reading dramatic, resilient, and a little misunderstood →

My mom never saw this house. She never walked the meadow garden, sat by the river, or collected eggs from our chickens. But when I sliced the first cantaloupe from this year’s garden, she was here. She never walked the meadow or sat in the screened in porch. She never met Appa or Bailey. She … Continue reading My Mom Lives on at Midnight Lane →

The topic of lakes came up in a conversation with a friend recently, and it made me think about all of the "lakeations" I organized over the years. My husband is the reason our family has traveled to so many beautiful and exciting places. Me? I introduced our kiddos to every interesting lake within about … Continue reading Lakeations over the years →

I just finished this memoir, and it left me with so many thoughts. More than anything, I’m proud of the woman the author became after experiencing such unexpected trauma. I’m proud that she stayed true to herself, even when people told her not to share her story. She chose honesty over comfort, authenticity over silence. … Continue reading Strangers →

Last summer, after moving back to North Carolina, I reconnected with a good friend and colleague. Together we wrote Educating the Uniquely Wired Child: The Workbook. To support the workbook, I launched a companion podcast that was originally intended to be just four episodes. Four episodes turned into eight. Then eight turned into more. I … Continue reading Professional Update →

In 2015, on the Wednesday after Mother’s Day, I watched my mom die. It was traumatic, and I hate that this will always be my last memory of her. I’ve shared pieces of that day before, but today I’m reminded again that depression is very real. It held onto my mother so tightly that she … Continue reading The Wednesday after Mother’s Day →

The original plan for the Educating the Uniquely Wired Child podcast was simple: four companion episodes to complement the workbook. But somewhere along the way between the conversations and, admittedly, despite the editing, I realized I was having too much fun to stop. So now, I am continuing with new episodes twice a month. Yesterday, … Continue reading Who should change? →

Over the years, I’ve found it hard to connect with new people. Old friends? Easy.You find a handful of people you can call when… You need to solve all the world’s problems over coffee or a 5K run.Or you need someone to help you bury a body, and they don’t flinch. New people are different. … Continue reading Connecting with new people →

Jenny Lawson’s new book dropped last week, so of course I binge-listened all weekend while gardening. Her books have a way of finding me exactly when I need them. I will be forever grateful for discovering Furiously Happy the fall after my mom died unexpectedly. It helped me heal in a way I didn’t think … Continue reading Micro celebrations →

A friend posted on social media this week that our President said Gavin Newsome had a “mental disability” referring to his dyslexia. Umm… what? Another example of why words and labels matter. Especially as the President of the United States. But there’s an entirely different post related to that loaded statement. For now, I will … Continue reading Words Matter →