Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl

If you’d told me at 16 that I’d be sitting cross-legged on my butt, picking rabbit turds out of a litter box, I’d have told you to kick rocks. But, oh, how those Miracle-Gro-like turds will give my yard’s greens a robust boost when the time is right. Dang those mannequin legs—I can’t find themContinue reading “A Calm Shuffle”

Now that I’ve washed one couch cushion and it didn’t burst into flames, I’m moving on to the next. Delicate cycle, cold water, a teeny bit of detergent, and hang dry—and voila, the butt ring is gone! My regret over the off-white couch is slowly fading, but now that I see the stark contrast betweenContinue reading “Midge’s Mid-Life Crisis”

Reflecting on my sessions today, I feel full. The good kind. Like a salad loaded with cucumbers, carrots, and robust, dark leafy greens—nourished, not stuffed. Using the corner of my cellphone, I smashed two ticks I found on Archie’s hindquarters. That makes five since Maria casually plucked one off him on Sunday. Now that IContinue reading “Bugs and Breakthroughs”

On a mundane Tuesday—one where my right eye’s stye is as heavy as a punching bag and nothing notable pings above dull—a storm blows in. Not unlike those foreboding minutes when Dorothy darts from scene to scene, the sky hazes over, the air whips, and there’s a buzz of excitement that flirts with fear. AContinue reading “Time Well Spent”

I’m challenging my desire for more. The default pull toward accumulation feels like an invisible foot pressing the gas—and yet, it seems impossible to shake. I want to crave less. Not as punishment, but as peace. But also: why do kids love being wrapped up like a burrito? I remember the giggle fits I’d getContinue reading “Or Are We Dancers?”

I’m falling apart a bit. A few seams undone—slowly, but unmistakably—unraveling. I feel too exposed. Too much of the wrong thing. Too not what you want. Too abrasive, like low-grit sandpaper—the kind used for the toughest, messiest jobs. A little neglectful, even, in ways I can’t quite name. I watched a video once. More thanContinue reading “Unraveling Raviolis”

Since the official bedtime of 8:15 p.m., Evelyn and her sleepover buddy have picked sugar snap peas from the garden, gathered books and flashlights, played with dolls, discovered a rogue nail (not finger, the hammer kind) in the carpet, and fetched ice water. It’s now 9:40 p.m., and Dave and I have absolutely zero caresContinue reading “Wrangling Cats”

Garden Journal – Spring & Summer 2025 This will be a guidebook—failures, fantasies, and real data—to help prep for fall planting and long-term bed planning. This year’s gardening approach has been… YOLO. A handful of seeds tossed here and there, seeing what sticks. Honestly, it was necessary. The first tropical storm’s downpour flattened and erodedContinue reading “Georgia Gardening Take #1”