The outside smells of a flavored cigarillo, sweet and smoky. The tree-lined hillsides aren’t green but grayish-white, like in an Ansel Adams painting. The same layer that distorts the color of the trees is turning the sun a deep fluorescent orange – unnatural and eerie. Smoke from wildfires places our area at 22x the levelContinue reading “Welcome To Your Life”
Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl
Walk A Mile: A Writing Exercise
This week’s writing exercise is about putting oneself into another’s perspective. To process the disgusted, self-righteous, and defensive feelings I had of a memory of a man, I decided to write from his perspective in hopes of understanding his motivations. It’s Friday. Two of my boys are dropping by work later. I can’t forget toContinue reading “Walk A Mile: A Writing Exercise”
Children In The Corn
I have a reoccurring experience where after a fun event or social engagement ends, I get depressed. My thoughts center around time, its significance, and how quickly it goes. Even writing that blew a chilled heaviness into my mind and chest. I’m stuck in a corn maze. While waiting for my family to catch up,Continue reading “Children In The Corn”
October Summer
I sense I’m in a write-a-page-of-content and delete-everything kind of mood. I feel spread thin and tired and need time for dumb movies and tv shows. Maybe I should do just that; Not every day can be a home run writing day. I’m ok with that. Love, Jaclynn
Two Games In One
The second FaceTime of the night (am I that parent?) to Evelyn involved showing her the Seattle Kraken’s band playing Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” outside the Climate Pledge Arena. Appearing to eat chicken nuggets, she cutely bobbed her head back and forth to the beat. Dave and I are having an impromptu evening out; thanksContinue reading “Two Games In One”
Visualize Whirled Peas
Momentarily donning my Halloween costume of a brown frilly tank top, billowing at-the-ankle pants, beaded headdress, and golden peace symbol at my neck transported me to the spirit of the ’60s. So much so that when the lyric “Fuck the man” from an Iron and Wine song came on, my only thought was to giveContinue reading “Visualize Whirled Peas”
She’s Going The Distance
I’m back from a 40-minute in-between session walk through construction zones and sleepy rural areas. Two white-haired women, one sitting on her bum legs out like a child playing with their toys, worked in her garden, whereas another held her phone up and took directions from YouTube to spray paint two pieces of furniture anContinue reading “She’s Going The Distance”
Ramblin’ Whoa Man
“Do you think I’m a good fit for you as a counselor?” I’m proud that I brought up my concern with a client earlier and the resulting enlightening and productive conversation that followed. Where I once dreaded the “you’re not a good fit” feedback, I now embrace it. So much so that if I feelContinue reading “Ramblin’ Whoa Man”
Here Kitty Kitty
Have you ever unintentionally stumbled upon a nugget of gold? How about in the way of a misdelivery from the good ol’ Mr. Postman? At first sight, “Backwoods Home Magazine” was a joke, with its second-largest font stating “The Potato Issue” and other titles of “Making Fertilizer” and “Butchering Beef” did little to stir anythingContinue reading “Here Kitty Kitty”
Walking Into Spiderwebs
The limp fishing lines of spider webs with their weighty beads of dew are welcoming fall in like enthusiastic Walmart greeters. As the wind whips leaves free, I lay in the hammock swinging, wondering how I can communicate the depth of my love for this season. Evelyn’s 35-lb body is limp on mine. At theContinue reading “Walking Into Spiderwebs”
Going On 40 