Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl

Dang, I have a commercial’s jingle in my head. Evelyn’s cough broke me from it. How do you know when to take a kid to the doctor? That’s the thought running through my mind. She has no fever, is eating well, and has plenty of energy. A quick peek at symptoms of pneumonia or respiratoryContinue reading “Take it Easy”

This new 36-inch circular table allows my laptop to rest as I settle into the cozy L-shaped bench nook in the kitchen corner. It feels like productivity thrives here, reminiscent of my favorite coffee shop during graduate school. There’s something about being part of the action—looking up to watch life unfold around me, clearing myContinue reading “Unless You Got Buns, Hun”

Before inputting the Buggy Town Auction into Google Maps, Evelyn asked if there would be rides. “No, it’s just animals to buy,” I told her. The next question, coming from a kid, was obvious: “Are we buying one?” I explained that we’d need a fence, a barn, and food, to which Dave added, “And we’dContinue reading “Buggy Town Auction”

I knew my 3pm appointment was carrying a burdensome load. The mounting family dysfunction of the past few months had accumulated, leaving them holding it together by a thread. Their problem-solving, troubleshooting, and overanalytical assessment of the situation led me to take a step below the surface and ask, “Yeah, but how are you reallyContinue reading “When the Dam Breaks”

I don’t want to write. I know because I keep cutting off my thoughts before they fully take shape on the page. Delete, delete, delete. There’s this unrelenting expectation of authenticity, like a bloodhound sniffing out what’s not genuine. And when it finds something lacking, it vetoes the idea without hesitation. I’m not a fan.Continue reading “The Battle with the Blank”

I’m worried my foot’s heel is going to get infected. Remember that callus cheese-slice grater I was gifted for Christmas that I over-shaved my foot with? Well, now three deep cracks have formed, like little river tendrils, and I’ve been tending to them. My routine: hydrogen peroxide for cleaning, followed by wrapping my foot inContinue reading “The Healing Heel”

Lately, I’m on a health food kick—not the “pile-your-plate-with-veggies” kind, but the “revitalize-your-gut” kind. Fermented foods like sourdough and kefir are the stars of my kitchen right now. One health book I read suggested setting a goal of introducing 200 foods (including spices) into your diet in a month to diversify your microbiome and promoteContinue reading “Fermentation Station”

When I force myself to write, I resist. I’m a stubborn donkey that way. It’s much better to gently invite myself to the page and remind myself of the value of spending some quiet time with my thoughts. Now that I think of it, I actually do a lot of caring things for myself duringContinue reading “Blow, Grow, Let Go”

As I squeegeed the glass shower wall—my least favorite chore—I found my mind wandering to writing. I thought about the world I’ve created on the page and felt that familiar push and pull: how much does it reflect reality, and how much of it is my own imagining? “You have a vivid imagination,” I’ve beenContinue reading “Twinkle and Tinker”

Like the White Rabbit’s frantic chant—“I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!”—I hurry myself forward. When did it start, I wonder? A pocket watch stretches to the tip of my nose, the numbers blurring as I strain to see. I’m so this that to be anything else feels like losing the thread of who I am.Continue reading “Finding Light’s Compass”