Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl

We secured the packages from the airport—otherwise known as Grandpa and Grandma. They’re settling in nicely—I checked. Their suitcases and shoes are neatly stored on the newly purchased luggage racks. I’m all about providing a lovely guest room experience. However, I fully embrace a solid zero-star rating in the wall decor department. The walls areContinue reading “The Eagle Has Landed”

Glocks, pistols, 9mm—just another casual topic of conversation among six moms at our homeschool co-op playground meetup. Before today, I had no idea they were so well-versed in pink designs, extra clips, and fun sizes. I sure as heck am not. But that’s what you get for joining a co-op minutes from an Air ForceContinue reading “Don’t Resist, Persist”

Hooking my Apple Watch to my wrist feels like slapping an ankle bracelet on my criminal self. But it’s a piece of technology that makes losing my other technology less likely. A built-in if-this-then-that sequence keeping my chaotic tendencies in check. Google Keep does the same. It’s my mind on paper when I’m on theContinue reading “Lost in Procrastination”

When the construction site’s floodlights spilled into every window, I woke instantly. It’s amazing how quickly the senses flip on when the environment shifts. Even before the sound came, I felt my body retract, bracing. Not even three seconds later—boom. A cannon-blast thunderclap. Southern storms feel almost theatrical, like a movie production team is outsideContinue reading “There’s No Place Like Home”

Severe weather is in the forecast—heavy winds, thunder, lightning, rain. Naturally, I have the National Weather Service radar pulled up because, after sifting through the conflicting chaos of social media and my weather app, I need the real source. A tornado watch is posted three hours west. Typical. The South doesn’t just have weather—it performsContinue reading “Gone With the Wind”

For as developed as my culinary skills are, I’d recommend my Mexican fare if you ever pop over for dinner. Standing in the grocery line, I surveyed the cart ahead of me—dozens of canned goods, and several boxes of boil-in-a-bag rice. Then I glanced at my own: fresh cilantro, Salvadorian crema, limes, ingredients en routeContinue reading “A Chef’s Kiss”

Frequently, clients bring notes they’ve taken during the week about things to discuss in session. Lately, I’ve been taking mental notes of my own—not about something I need to do, but about something I need to undo. I’ve noticed the way I talk to myself in the mirror—the quiet critiques, the passing glances that becomeContinue reading “Woman in the Mirror”