(Chatter letter from the Editor, May 2012) When I was nursing my son, my compulsive multitasking kindled a desire for the only other thing I was able to do in a glider: read The Classics. Maybe it was my sudden brainlessness — oh, the irony — or the fact I didn’t have a paying job,…   read more

Today we passed a police car and Drew informed me he would “yike” to drive it one day. I explained he would have to become a police officer first, and he paused for a moment before replying, “Yes, I will be that.” Police Officer is about the 39th profession Drew has agreed to adopt in…   read more

One of the only unfortunate side effects to taking voice lessons over a period of time is that your yelling gets really loud. Have you ever been in a dream where you wanted to scream above the surface of the water or above the mountain you’re trapped on or above the head of your attacker,…   read more

(Chatter letter from the editor, March) I think it is hilarious when certain people get a “What? This old thing?” attitude every time they receive a compliment. Maybe it’s a beautiful kitten heel, a new car, or a fancy peacock with fancy, fancy manners. Doesn’t matter what it is, but it’s usually something shee-shee or…   read more

(Chatter Letter From the Editor: February) The iconic off-Broadway comedy “The Fantasticks” is the world’s longest-running musical. It opened May 3, 1960 and closed January 13, 2002 after 17,162 performances. (The show was revived in 2006 and is still playing today at the Snapple Theater Center in NYC.) Its breezy score, intimate staging, and whimsical…   read more

On Saturday I had the privilege of seeing life from the confines of a 4 x 7 foot cell. Not as a result of petty theft or even because of solidarity with my imprisoned Christian brethren, but because I closed the door to the bathroom. And it was broken. And I’m an idiot. You have…   read more

(Preview: January Chatter Letter from the Editor) Well, it’s 2012. The end of the world as we know it. Though I am optimistic the feral cats in our neighborhood will survive anything the Mayans can throw at them. It’s funny how at the beginning of 2012, we’re thinking about the end of civilization. Or maybe…   read more

(Chatter Letter from the Editor, December 2011) My mother is notorious for keeping every single ornament she has ever had the privilege of owning. She’s not a collector, really, and calling her an ornament hoarder would be crass; if anything, she is an ornament Advocate. She advocates on behalf of the broken angel, the faceless…   read more

I read a slogan on the bottom of a candle that said, “Remember the moments that matter.” As if this candle, by lighting it, would help me mark the important times with intentionality — the flame would stamp and sear the sacred. But I light candles to holy-fy moments that really don’t matter at all,…   read more

Sometimes I think Thing Two believes I am incompetent. She already has the most beautiful little face with the most beautiful arched eyebrows, and boy howdy, do they arch. She gives me these looks that say, “Are you sure that’s the best way to crack an egg? Is there a reason for that particular headband?…   read more