Melissa, Oh?

I used to *love* snow. I mean, what kid doesn’t? A free pass from school and something fun and new to play with … can’t beat that …
Then I got a job at a newspaper. And they had a lovely rule in which we had to drive into work even in inclement weather. Understandable, I [...]

First off, I want to say thank you for all the kind words and support last week. Having a heavy heart and no outlet is at times, lonely. But, things are not all bad. In the good-news department, I have some exciting things to report:
Good friend news #1
My friend Michael, an actor, has landed a commercial. [...]

Chris B. asked me last week to write a gear list regarding what I took, should have taken, and shouldn’t have taken on my recent trip to Mount Mitchell for winter camping. So, without further adieu, here it is:
Head to toe
Here’s what I wore on my trip:
Balaclava – I fought against one of these. I [...]

Things I learned on this camping trip:
- I burned more calories backpacking last weekend than I did running the marathon last month.
- Chris is terrified of clowns.
- Bears do come out in the winter, and when there is snow on the ground they leave the tracks to prove it.
- The guys all knew exactly what type of [...]

Gear I would not do this trip again without:
In addition to the usual stuff, of course …
- Yaktrax - attaches to your hiking boots to make them easy to walk in snow/ice
- Toe Warmers - I used to think they were a luxury. In this weather, they were a necessity. Next time, I will have enough for [...]

Quotes from the trip:
Me: We saw some tracks that looked like a cat. Would that be a bear? A mountain lion?
Andrew: No, that’d be a cat.
Chris: I’m gonna get one of those at some point (spoken every time someone showed him a piece of gear. Any gear.)
Chadd: I hate rabbits (spoken every time the smoke got in [...]

So, better late than never on the Christmas blog post, right? I’ll try not to bore you with all of the details, but I wanted you to see what my grandmother thought of this present I made for her. Instead of telling you, I’ll show you with pictures, all beautifully captured by Jeff:

 
—————
Also, I had [...]

Ok, so I’ve showed you my completed closet (really, is anything ever really complete?), my hallways, one of my guest bedrooms. So now I’ll show you my bedroom, and of course I am showing you this so you can laugh at me:

Yes, it’s true. I have 2 fully furnished guest bedrooms but no furniture in [...]

When I was a child, going to visit my grandmother, who we all call Mia, I would ask her what we were going to eat for dinner.
“Food,” she would always reply, in a tone that clearly conveyed “Get the hell outta my kitchen” or “Whatever I serve, you will eat.”
Mia has never been much of [...]

I wrote this post last week, and I almost didn’t publish it today because there’s another canine friend , who is very much alive, fighting for her health across the country right now. But I wanted to share this story with you of the littlest family member with a big heart. And Daisy, I’m thinking about you [...]