How do you unwind after a demanding day? My cousin-in-law is scuba certified, and last week dove at the Atlanta Aquarium. The oxygen leaving his tank was considerably less than that of his fellow divers, he told me, and attributed it to his breath. Four beats in, a pause for four beats, then eight beatsContinue reading “Unpretzeling the Day”
Author Archives: Jaclynn Loibl
A Clown’s Nose Nothing
Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind. Silly me. All this time blogging, and I’ve yet to do a daily prompt. Well, lookie lookie at who’s stepping into the big show. Clowns. That’s right! The big poofy-pant-wearing kind, with pants big enough for ten basketballs to be thrown into. And a bigContinue reading “A Clown’s Nose Nothing”
The Race to Fairness
I really liked a woman’s blog once. I could tell she liked her messy selves—takes one to know one. I trusted her words like I was riding with an insane New York taxi driver—speeding through yellow lights, squeezing down back alleys, throwing a fist at negligent pedestrians—while I sat casually cross-legged in the backseat, crochetingContinue reading “The Race to Fairness”
To the Climbing Tree
I have a rubbery gorilla bracelet on my left wrist. Evelyn tells me it can summon monsters—even bad ones. There are 1,000 monsters in every city, she says. Details like these tumble out of her like Humpty down a wall. We’re on the way to a Cub Scout event at a camp, and I canContinue reading “To the Climbing Tree”
Where the Beer is Cold
I have several clients my age, or close to it. Women. Our biology overlaps, and it lends itself to girl-talk-type conversations—but also to deeper, more meaningful ones. Because we relate. Deeply. Growing up in similar times, in similar ways, can create uncanny parallels. With one woman this week, we talked about where we once were,Continue reading “Where the Beer is Cold”
A Night Well Spent
My cousin and her husband arrived to stay the night and we’ve been chatting. They’re visiting from Washington state and spent the past week in Savannah. Oh, did I mention my cousin’s name is Savanah? We’ll be spending the day together by the pool before they fly out in the evening. I’ll see you tomorrow!Continue reading “A Night Well Spent”
A Frog’s Patootie
In a miserable mood, I told Dave, “The only answer is to go for a run.” I’d missed the pre-work, 65-degree, shaded morning cool, which meant the midday sun was in full golden glory—86 degrees and unrelenting. I walked most of the second mile and felt a mix of failure and success. I did it—butContinue reading “A Frog’s Patootie”
The Act of Notting
I want this day to last longer. To watch the crows’ about-face strut to eat peanuts in the yard, to plant tomatoes, to browse and shop for patio furniture, to listen to the extra-loud cardinal’s call, to mix up ingredients for another sourdough recipe, and to contemplate—deeply—what I care about, what I don’t, and why.Continue reading “The Act of Notting”
Around the World
The sting of the higher price tag is replaced by euphoria. A power tool with real power—the cord whipping at what feels like a gajillion miles per hour, obliterating weeds, dirt, and rocks in its path—and a battery that could power a spaceship to Mars fueled the smile on my spring-sprucing face. Then Dave attackedContinue reading “Around the World”
For the Love of Breathing
Placing a chair back in its place on the front porch at the day’s end, I saw a phone’s light bobbing through the lawn. Unable to see who it was—and assuming it was Dave—I called out, “Who’s there?” “Hudson,” came the reply. My nephew. He was coming to take Grandma and Grandpa’s car back nextContinue reading “For the Love of Breathing”