About seven months ago, I discovered an outline for a novel that I developed more than eight years earlier. Over the years I would think about it, but assumed that it had been tossed during one of my moves. I was thrilled to find it while doing a deep clean of some...
One of my best friends got married this morning. We’ve seen each other through peaks and valleys over the many years we’ve known each other. She has been my rock when I needed support and my mirror when I needed some straight talk. We’ve laughed and cried...
In 2014, I left the corporate world and hung up my own shingle as a marketing consultant and writer. This meant that except for occasionally working from a client’s office or a coffee shop, I was spending most days working at home. Throughout the year, I received many...
I first spotted the tattered fabric flapping in the wind while sitting at a red light on Lincoln Avenue. When the light turned green, I could see the full sign as I moved forward. There’s something about the way paint deteriorates when applied to brick. I love what...
Although my alarm was set for 4:50 am, I was awake long before the first “beep beep beep” sounded from my phone. This morning started like so many others: throwing the covers back, drenched in sweat. Ah, hot flashes. They rob me of precious sleep, make me feel...
It happens after every big snow in Chicago: residents shovel out a parking space and stake their claim with random objects. Technically, “Chicago Dibs” is illegal, but city officials look the other way for a couple days before they issue a statement that...
I always start the new year by looking back over my photos from the past year. As has become my tradition, I select my favorites from the thousands I’ve amassed over the past 12 months – never an easy feat. From 2014, here they are: 14. I loved this piece of...
I needed a new passport, unfortunately not because it was filled, but because it had expired. I hadn’t used it in a while, so looking back on the stamped pages brought a flood of memories… A life-changing solo trip to France in 2005. Flying in to Heathrow...
In person, I’m a fast talker and I use my hands to punctuate my points. Unfortunately, when holding an online meeting neither of these characteristics work in my favor. Because much of the work that I do is visual, I hold many meetings via join.me so that I can...
Chicago winter has been long and cold. Very cold. Under normal circumstances when I have writer’s block or need to solve a creative problem, I go for a bike ride. Something about the rhythmic nature of riding and exploring works for me every time. That’s...
