Jaclynn Loibl

My Front Porch Looking In

I’m good behind a computer. It’s safe here. Comfortable. The written word is a fortress that feels impenetrable.Not so on TikTok. Earlier today, I filmed a one-minute video of my front porch and what will soon be a pollinator garden. I’ve talked about it a bit here, but what I haven’t mentioned is that theContinue reading “My Front Porch Looking In”

Makin’ Trauma Our Bitch

Not everyone can wiggle their hips in a way that defies gravity when it comes to hula hooping. It takes desire, practice, failing, and trying again. As a kid, I watched a hula hoop competition and told myself I’d beat the top time—maybe not that day, but in my own backyard, barefoot in freshly cutContinue reading “Makin’ Trauma Our Bitch”

Is That a Lot?

To have no concept—of time, of money—it’s a magical state. I can barely remember it myself. Like Marty McFly’s family photo: still there, but fading fast. “I got a gumball. It was twenty-five dollars,” Evelyn said, dead serious. “Twenty-five dollars?” I asked. She’d just returned from the bank’s gumball machine—the holy grail for a five-year-old—updatingContinue reading “Is That a Lot?”

Wishin’ and Hopin’

What’s your superpower? Mine? Hang on. I just asked the question—give me a second. It’s not breadmaking. I proudly baked two loaves and tried to gift the second to my neighbors, only to find both houses already had fresh loaves of their own. Like, straight-out-of-the-oven. It’s not pushups, or weeding, or practicing Spanish, unless “yoContinue reading “Wishin’ and Hopin’”

Hairspray and Humanity

With a dusting of flour on the back of my left hand, I sink into the couch—much too late—to write a blog. Dave’s nearby, still in his collared button-down shirt, folding the clothes I’d left there hours ago. You see, we’ve just been out on the town: Taco Bell chalupas for dinner followed by aContinue reading “Hairspray and Humanity”

Swiping Towards Stardom

I’m just into the first interview in Judd Apatow’s book—it’s with Jerry Seinfeld. Apatow’s trying to extract the secret sauce of comedy, and I feel like a fly on the wall. I’m fascinated by the mechanics of humor, how comedians take something ordinary and make it unforgettable. Talking about watching a guy catch a bulletContinue reading “Swiping Towards Stardom”

“You’re Going to Hell”: From Fear to Tolerance

I share these stories not because I’m proud of them, but because I know I’m not the only one who was shaped this way—and maybe we can unshape it together.” I don’t know exactly how the world began. The Big Bang, stars forming, planets aligning—it’s the best I’ve got. I’m an atheist living in aContinue reading ““You’re Going to Hell”: From Fear to Tolerance”

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Not to make my love for pressure washing jealous, but a new gentleman caller is on the scene. The Little Green Machine arrived via UPS, hand-delivered by a driver who offered a warm, “Y’all take care now,” despite me being the only one standing there. Like the trigger-pull on my power washer, the steam cleanerContinue reading “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”

When the Milkweed Whispers

That dang walk through the asters, milkweed, and black-eyed Susans at a butterfly garden in a well-shaded, river-hugging park got me. Minutes later, I was ordering 20 seed packets with the touch of my thumb—shipped from a nearby nursery. The bees, the hummingbirds, the large, flitting butterflies had me transfixed. Their gentle, floating ways wereContinue reading “When the Milkweed Whispers”

Outside the Box

In my 6×6-inch Rubbermaid Brilliant Series Tupperware container, once used to house sauces and leftovers, my five-and-three-quarters-year-old daughter Evelyn created a game, stored it in it, using 13 dice with each die having eight sides, and a deck of cards. “You can be 1, 2, 3, 4—wait, not 4—1, 2, 3, or 5. Yup, fiveContinue reading “Outside the Box”