Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl

I’m very much glued to the PulsePoint app on my phone. It’s a list and map of all the fire and rescue calls in my area. Currently, there are five active, including a vehicle fire, three medical emergencies, and a residential fire. Nine of the previous ten were all vegetation fires, one of which weContinue reading “Independent Day”

Sitting in dusk’s glow under our patio draping lights is heavenly. With sunshades propped atop my head like a fancy ribbon of a 50’s poodle skirt-wearing bopper, I ignore the calls for “Mom!” I want quiet and am off duty – whatever that means. Evelyn’s sliding a chair in beside me despite my warnings aboutContinue reading “Bing Bang Boom”

Ideas are crumpled into wads of paper and tossed into the trash. The “it” factor, no one has. “Off with their head,” demands the Queen of Hearts. It smarts, the sting of goodbye. Then there’s the reward of hello. Like a circle chasing its tail, never to catch it, I drown. In a bowl ofContinue reading “A Crazed Daze”

It was a lovely night for a clockwise paddle around Hidden Lake. A T-shirt would do, but the extra hoodie layer was a good choice, ensuring complete comfort. With full bellies from a nearby sushi restaurant, Dave and I took our oars, locked Archie inside the house (he’d run around the lake after us ifContinue reading “Row, Row, Row”

I’m in a hurry and write mood. It’s pedal to the metal (not medal, Jaclynn) so I can slink into bed for sleep. Another boom. Although five days ahead of the 4th, the fireworks go off once every fifteen to thirty minutes. The booms are most likely M-80 firecrackers. With our windows open to coolContinue reading “Memory Lane Trippin’”

“I made you something, Laura,” 4-and-a-half-year-old Evelyn said to my friend of 35 years. “You did?!” Laura replied, eyes widened in surprise. “I made you my friend,” Evelyn said. Kids are magic. Pure magic. It’s been a long and wonderful day. We received three gifts: napkins shaped of Washington state and its cities, a mushroomContinue reading “Hello, Goodbye”

With our departure date looming, I committed to establishing an itinerary. My goal was to have it finished by this weekend’s end. However, once I started I couldn’t stop. Ok, so what if I came in three days ahead of my self-imposed deadline? To start, I’m glad the all night drive idea gotkaboshed. Lovely isContinue reading “A Plan is Made”

Reading a kids’ book to Evelyn led me to search for a photo of these round, car-sized bales of hay I took a picture of in Montana. Unfortunately, I don’t have them and will need to see if my friend Kristen does, but that’s not the point. The point is I don’t like myself. ScanningContinue reading “House of Toothpicks”

I have the largest monstera in the world. In my world anyway. Its leaves reach out like claws, claws as big as a sabertooth tiger’s, outwards. If it weren’t for our upcoming move, I’d be propping a crutch under its drooping arm for support. Instead of in the corner of the bedroom, I moved itContinue reading “Grateful Guidance”