At the end of the brown-carpeted hallway in my childhood home sat a cedar chest. On top were books like Why Was I Adopted? and Adoption Is for Always. Getting to the chest meant walking past wooden-framed school photos of my brother and me, each step revealing my growing smile—the half-inch gap between my frontContinue reading “Scents and Sensibility”
Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl
The Art of Undoing
Before sharing this post, I waited until I could talk to my mom, Joanne. We both did a writing exercise with the same prompts, and I loved the experience. It sparked something meaningful between us, and now I feel ready to share my reflection: What keeps me up at night.. Is you. I think ofContinue reading “The Art of Undoing”
The Yeasty Boys
I really like being right. I know the cost — it means someone else is wrong. Which, for someone who likes being right, isn’t such a bad outcome. While watching Wild Robot before bed, Dave asked Evelyn if she knew what the robot was pulling out of the fox’s face. When she didn’t, he said,Continue reading “The Yeasty Boys”
The Root Awakening
With a rake and a wheelbarrow—that’s how I best remember my Papa. So whenever I’m smoothing out the earth’s surface after wrestling the root of all roots, I think of him and the meditative hours he spent shaping landscapes to his liking. Whether it was a rototilled garden that fed his nightly vinegar and oilContinue reading “The Root Awakening”
It’s the Climb
I’ve lost over twenty pounds in two months. The thought crosses my mind daily, and each time it does, my chest fills with helium-like pride as I soak in the accomplishment. The weight I carried wasn’t just physical—it was emotional too. Aches in my knees, a persistent tingle in my foot, and a general dissatisfactionContinue reading “It’s the Climb”
When the Trailer is Rocking
It’s my niece Brooklynn’s birthday today, and Dave’s calendar reminder beat me to the punch—something I still need to do myself. Later, we ate dinner and ended up lounging like an old married couple in our two faux-leather chairs, listening to Evelyn’s squeals as she narrated every detail about her toys to her oldest friend,Continue reading “When the Trailer is Rocking”
Zen and Trucks
One day, long ago, I dreamed of the life I’m living now. Walking around the block in my white open-toed Birkenstocks, my smartwatch tracking every step on a warm winter day in the South, I realized the philosopher’s words coming through my speaker were right. I did dream of this—a life filled with love andContinue reading “Zen and Trucks”
DIY Pine Shelves: A Step-by-Step Guide
DIY projects are my jam, but rarely do I share step-by-step on my blog. That changes today! Especially after I found myself wandering Home Depot, disheveledly scanning the internet for screw length specifics when I could have instead looked up on here what I used on a similar project two years ago. Never again. IContinue reading “DIY Pine Shelves: A Step-by-Step Guide”
Properly Uninformed
When I think about politics, I spin out — like a cartoon toy wound so tight that its string snaps and smoke shoots out of its ears. For all the things I hate about politics — the division between people I care about and the unresolved, long-standing disagreements — I still want to dip aContinue reading “Properly Uninformed”
Going Bananas for Bananas
Up there with people selling secondhand mirrors and accidentally catching their reflection in the shot are product reviews where the critique is actually just a fact. Take the review I saw when garden seed shopping that cost the Snail Vine seeds their five-star rating: “It grows slow.” The packet clearly states the expected growth rate,Continue reading “Going Bananas for Bananas”
Going On 40 