There is something tender in the cold days of winter that latches onto your bones and carries on you like a worn coat from winter to winter as you grow, change, move, and adapt to new environments, and yet flares up like an old injury when the temperature drops in those early months of the…
It is the start of October, the start of three straight months that have been my perpetual favorites for most of my life. As a child, October and December were solid favorites for me while November was a holding pattern as my young, magic-filled heart waited for the spirit of Christmas to arrive. When in…
We joke when hoisting our cat into our eager arms that she's gone to her happy place as she stares off, looking at a location we cannot see, and waits patiently to be set free to meander the floor until she returns to demand pets and attention. She's at her happy place, we say when…
The memories of beloved individuals in my family seem to be filled with the brightest colors and light. They are cherish and nurtured, the flame kept bright, and through these memories I find joy to tend to my sorrow, as well as love to keep their lives ongoing. My beautiful grandmother passed on Saturday, September…
My mother read Little House in the Big Wood to me when I was tiny. Tucked into my twin-sized bed with a line of stuffed animals peeking out from under the covers on both sides, I'd stare at the cover of the book--a sketch of Laura cradling her baby doll--while my mother read through the…
Having children is only a dream at this point. We have a lot to do in our lives before we can begin trying for children. A wedding, for one. Not that we particularly care if we have children before the wedding, we just can't fathom adding on pregnancy/childbirth/child raising onto our already hectic schedule. And…
I was a teenager when I first was introduced to Minnewaska. I loved the name, it was rich with the heritage of the area. Growing up at the foot of the Catskill Mountains in New York, there was a blend of both Dutch and Native American names in the towns, streets, and natural locations. Nestled…
The storms rolled through Sunday afternoon with thunder that shook the windows and vibrated the floor. The rain fell so heavily that the street turned into a pond. But shortly after, it was clear. The sky was blue, the trees glistened with raindrops, and the temperature had dropped. Wind came through to push away the humidity…
Timeframe: the late '90s and early 2000s. The moment August began, there was a shift to my summer days. We had a blend of seasons all within the thirty days. Always, for a week--maybe two--there would be the infamous "dog days of summer." We suddenly would have our temperatures shoot into the 90s and humidity…
Erica Rose Eberhart 