
My Latest Posts
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- The Ghosts of ChristmasInto the Wilderness: Story 60 Christmas Past My father sits in an avocado-green velvet chair, a large Waterford glass with bourbon on the rocks in his hand. In the kitchen,Continue reading “The Ghosts of Christmas”
- CreviceInto the Wilderness: Story 59 I’ve been thinking a lot about attachment. Some people can cut people out of their lives as simply as lancing a pimple. Slash and theContinue reading “Crevice”
- I failed my MRI, and I’m alive because of itInto the Wilderness: Story 58 Ten years ago, I was hospitalized with acute abdominal pain. My temperature was 105, and I was vomiting and crying with pain. Less than anContinue reading “I failed my MRI, and I’m alive because of it”
- Please, And Thank YouWe are entering the holiday season when gratitude, gatherings and gifting carry us to year’s end. I rarely ask for favors or gifts, but I am boldly asking for oneContinue reading “Please, And Thank You”
- Ghost StoryInto the Wilderness: Story 57 The political landscape has been such a roller coaster that I couldn’t bear to dwell on it. I’m both heartened by the democratic “wave,” asContinue reading “Ghost Story”
- Get Thee Behind MeInto the Wilderness: Story 56 My fourth grade teacher scared me. I grew up in Oklahoma in the center of the Bible Belt. Although church and state were supposed toContinue reading “Get Thee Behind Me”
- Lost and FoundInto the Wilderness: Story 55 A close family member and I have not spoken in almost 20 years. His children are adults with careers. He looks as he always didContinue reading “Lost and Found”
- Bad GirlsI haven’t shared a poem in years. Here’s a new one. Here’s to the bad girls, The ones who rise at midnight, Twitching for a fix Of wind in theContinue reading “Bad Girls”
- Snow White and the Corporate EconomyAn Into the Wilderness blog: Story 54 Surviving Facts blog The nights are already turning crisp in New Jersey. Last night, as I sat on my sister’s back porch watchingContinue reading “Snow White and the Corporate Economy”
- PackingInto the Wilderness: Story 53 No, I’m not talking about packing heat. I’m talking about packing up everything you have gathered over sixty years of life and putting it allContinue reading “Packing”
- A Moment to LoveAn Into the Wilderness blog I don’t usually use Walk the Moon to celebrate life milestones. But today, I am. Today, my husband and I have been married for 11Continue reading “A Moment to Love”
- Claiming SpaceInto the Wilderness: Story 51 My husband and I have worked hard to forge a relationship based on equality, respect and compassion. My husband is almost 70, so when IContinue reading “Claiming Space”
- ButterflyInto the wilderness: Story 50 Imagine the life of a butterfly. First, the egg clinging to the underside of a leaf, miniscule yet tough. Its chorionic shell hides a waxyContinue reading “Butterfly”
- Heavy MemoriesInto the Wilderness: Story 49 When you’re obese, you will always have a fat mind. Notice I said “mind.” Even if or after you lose weight, your mind cannot releaseContinue reading “Heavy Memories”
- Average Joes, Strings Part 3Into the Wilderness: Story 48 And then there was Joe. I didn’t want to pull this string. I let it dangle until I singed the threads, a definite end. HeContinue reading “Average Joes, Strings Part 3”
- Mamma’s daughterInto the Wilderness: Story 46 June marks two sad milestones for my sister and me. On June 15, 33 years ago, our dear mother passed away. June 29 would haveContinue reading “Mamma’s daughter”
- Strings, Part 2Into the wilderness: Story 45 Here’s another string I didn’t pull. It’s a handsome young man, military, muscled, groomed. He sat next to me in Middle English Language and Literature.Continue reading “Strings, Part 2”
- StringsInto the Wilderness: Story 44 At night, I struggle to sleep. I start my routine, washing and scrubbing my face, layering, vitamin C, snail mucin, hylaraunic acids, retin A andContinue reading “Strings”
- On the Spectrum-RepublishedInto the Wilderness: Story 12 Raising Autism: Survey 101 I have yet to write about ASD, or Autism Spectrum Disorder. That’s because we had yet to make the connection. GirlsContinue reading “On the Spectrum-Republished”
- The Ridge- REPUBLISHEDInto the Wilderness: Story 6 Our rented SUV was one of the last in the parent caravan. We drove along winding paved roads until we turned off onto dirt pathways,Continue reading “The Ridge- REPUBLISHED”
- Happy Birthday- RepublishedInto the Wilderness: Story 5 On Catina’s 15th birthday, I gave her a drug test. She walked in the door from school, a rare smile on her face, and, withoutContinue reading “Happy Birthday- Republished”
- Sunshine- RepublishedInto the Wilderness: Story 4 When Catina went into the wilderness, we did too. Our wilderness was inside us, the intricate branching of thought and memory that builds up overContinue reading “Sunshine- Republished”
- How Wilderness Therapy Saved My FamilyInto the Wilderness: Story 43 Lately I’ve been seeing a lot of negative commentary on wilderness and residential therapy. Paris Hilton released Hell Camp, a Netflix documentary about her treatmentContinue reading “How Wilderness Therapy Saved My Family”
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