Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl

I’m reclaiming my space. Well, it’s not completely my space—I do live with other human beings who have their claims on it too—but let’s not count them for the time being. Years ago, my good friend Reid, father of two and husband of one, told me, “I’d prefer not to have roommates.” And yet heContinue reading “Learning How to Run”

I need two décor items that’ll sit on the left and right sides of the squared-out fireplace hole. Right now, there are two pillow pumpkins—brown with beige tops—seated like lion statues at the entry of a fancy person’s driveway. I thought about plants, tall thin ones, but that’s no permanent solution, especially when fires inContinue reading “Evenings at Our House”

I think everything’s good. Besides a mini fire ant ambush—the sizzling hot bites that lead to pus-filled mounds that ache for days—I’m not a fan of those. But the promise of the week ahead, hitting the 80s, feels right. I bought two ornate birdbaths off Facebook Marketplace yesterday, along with sixteen panels of privacy fence,Continue reading “Bring Me A Dream”

The unlikeliest of pairs. Love, Jaclynn

I’m sitting on the floor of the garage. The door to the house is open, and one of the cats is exploring. It’s been a hot day, so the air out here matches the inside of the house. With the door open, Dave and Evelyn’s back-and-forth spills out here. I’m not sure how long IContinue reading “The Dock of the Bay”

I feel pressure to be superhuman. Mostly from other people. When sometimes, just putting one foot in front of the other, paying a bill, or returning an item on the day it’s due is more than enough. I hate being a disappointment to others. And in that same breath, I will be. I have been.Continue reading “The Fox in the Den”

In the mornings, our household ambles. We saunter and shuffle, and get pulled into mini river eddies. We drink coffee for an hour, lay on the floor playing Legos, and put off the day’s start as our work-from-home and school-from-home selves watch the football-field-away school system buses rush kids to school. We’re a bit outContinue reading “Not About That Line Life”

“I stumble into shame…” is what I was going to say — before I was rudely interrupted by an alarm-level thought that I needed to update my CAQH profile. You know, the professional organization that holds all the most important details of my business for insurance purposes. So off I went. That site makes meContinue reading “Because I Feel Like It”

Inadvertently, I pulled up a stunted azalea from the sandy circle at the center of the driveway. I’d planted it over a year ago, and not only had it failed to keep up in height and growth, it hadn’t produced a single bloom. Spring isn’t quite here yet, though the weather is trying, and itsContinue reading “If You Build It”

Growing up in the country as a young whippersnapper, I loved summer nights. I’d lie awake and listen to the frogs in the pond a football field away. A cluster of evergreen trees — tall and thick as could be — showed the light-to-medium blue sky through their gaps, making the shape of a dinosaur.Continue reading “Lean Into It”