Remember the ad campaign for Calgon bath products back in the 1970s and 1980s? “Calgon, take me away!” My mom used to bellow this phrase all the time when I was a kid and it always made me laugh. Maybe…
Friends With Pens: Mommas Can Have It All
Editor’s Note: If one thing has become clear during these recent historical events in our country, it’s that many people don’t appreciate the concepts of “compassion,” “humility,” “loyalty,” or “solidarity.” A Momma & Her Pen believes wholeheartedly in supporting others…
Age-Old Evenings & Far-Off Music
When white moths are on the wing, And moth-like stars are flickering out –“The Song Of Wandering Aengus,” William Butler Yeats Whenever I need a good cry, I find myself watching The Bridges of Madison County. It is my all-time…
Mental Synchronization (Part 3)
Today marks four weeks since we began my attempt to incorporate routine and structure into my children’s days. I originally began these exercises because after several months of quarantine and “free” time I noticed they were becoming bored, unruly, lazy,…
Glamour, Guts, & Glory
Sometimes being a woman is the worst. I’ve had all sorts of crazy symptoms and complaints over the past few years. First from pregnancy: flabby, streaky skin on my tummy; an unfortunate and uncalled for reduction in my breasts (as…
Our Past Is The Canvas For Our Future
“You shouldn’t envy me. Mostly I live in the past.” –Brandon Stark (Game of Thrones, season 8, episode 4: “The Last of the Starks”) Apologies for always quoting Game of Thrones—the series is littered with profound and poignant one-liners (and…
Preserving My Inner Guide
Salvation sometimes comes in the unlikeliest of places. For me, it’s almost always Josh (and all genres of music), books/TV shows (fantasy and historical fiction are my go-tos right now), cooking/baking, writing, coffee and wine, my husband. Hell, even my…
The Irony Of Time
I’ve often wondered what a midlife crisis would look like—and when it would happen. As a young adult, I pictured an abrupt, bold, seemingly catastrophic event during a specific time in one’s life—somewhere around the 50-year mark—that comes roaring in…
Mental Synchronization (Part 2)
We are now exactly two weeks into my mental synchronization “experiment.” Here are my key takeaways so far: 1) First of all, I do not have the fortitude, aptitude, or patience to be a teacher of young children and I’m…
Narrative Subjectivity
I took an online writing class about two weeks ago and during this time I learned about something called “freewriting,” which essentially means sitting down with a pen and paper and writing—off the top of your head—from a story prompt…