Category Archives: Uncategorized

Here are some takeaways from our fascinating trip to the far east. First and foremost, jump rope is an amazing sport. Finn’s single rope team freestyle (“fourstyle”) group earned a 3rd place medal in the international open tournament. Finn it to win it! A walking tour of Tokyo with local guide Haiyan gave us aContinue reading “Tokyo Tricks”

Shark researcher? Too much lab time. Early childhood education? Maybe. Political science? “I want to take every class on this list.” That’s the one! Tatum and Aiden both started their college career at the end of June, along with another one-third of the first-year class at the University of South Florida. She and roommate Carson,Continue reading “College Kicks”

So at 3:30 am in Kawasaki, Japan, Italy and California are on my mind. Jet lag will do that to a person, spin the mind like a globe. I was just thinking that since Christmas in the UK, not including Kevin’s constant travels to Ukraine and Poland, and Tatum’s foray into Florida, we’ve also beenContinue reading “Spring Trips”

It has been such a festive and cerebral season! So many graduates to celebrate, and celebrate we did. Marley, as usual, led the way. Unfortunately, we had to watch the UMD events live streamed because it was pouring rain and too cold for Mom and Doug to sit outside—but we still felt part of eventsContinue reading “Graduates Galore”

It’s my last evening in Antananarivo and I’m feeling like a tortoise that found a skateboard; how lucky to have been here for a second time this year. I listen to live and lively piano music in the pavilion of La Varangue, sip my Cristal (sparkling water) and realize I can’t feel the temperature, whichContinue reading “Foreigner in a Friendly Land: Lemurs and Little Kids in Madagascar”

There’s nothing like feeling a wave of nausea to focus the mind on meeting the moment. Specifically, where can I vomit most discreetly at this moment, I wondered, because there’s no time to spare. And, secondly, she’s a mom, this person in front of me— she’ll understand. She has had at least five children, soContinue reading “World’s Okayest Moms”

Tatum has been waiting to turn 18–freedom!—since she was still playing with dolls. I remember the last day she played with dolls: it was a Friday afternoon in early September 2018. She was in sixth grade. That was the day we learned that middle schoolers in Maryland are way too busy to play, unless it’sContinue reading “She is 17 Going on 18: Or, a Sparkly Nun Moves to Florida and Buys Shampoo”

How lucky am I? One minute I’m sitting on my balcony overlooking the antique car collection in the Alsace room of boutique hotel La Varangue, watching a tiny, bright orange bird dart close and away again; and the next I’m being serenaded by a classroom of Malagasy four-year-olds who are alternately shy, exuberant and dazed.Continue reading “Le Merveilleux Madagascar”

Author’s note: I drafted this on January first on the train from Brighton back to London and I’m posting it more than a month later…from Madagascar, which will definitely be a highlight of 2025! Tatum Coming home from Stuart Hall; Costa Rica; Deep Creek for the Fourth of July week; Leah’s birthday party; meeting Aiden;Continue reading “Highlights of 2024”

Happy new year, world! I was listening to The Moth Radio Hour yesterday and the first story, amazingly, happened to be told by His Majesty the King’s Royal Raven Master, who lives at the Tower of London where we visited just about two weeks ago. He told a story about his first day on theContinue reading “Brighton’s Colors”