Portrait in Linen

Mom’s Best-Kept Beauty Secret, AcadianaMoms magazine, April 2010.

She’s drop-dead gorgeous. Rich, chestnut hair, tiger-green eyes and curves in all the right places. My best friend, “Josie,” is 35 years old, but you wouldn’t believe it unless you checked her driver’s license. Daily, someone mistakes her for her teenaged daughter’s sister. “You’re her mom? No way!” She doesn’t always correct them. We should all be so lucky…

…Secretly, I wish I were gorgeous like Josie. If I were youthful and stylish, my kids would be proud to go places with their pretty mother, and they’d never be embarrassed she was wearing the same ol’ sweats and no makeup … again.

Read full article here.

Queen Cleo: A Furry Tail, Animal Lovers Guide of Acadiana, February/March 2010.

Once upon a time in a parish far, far away, there lived a queen cat called Cleo, beloved of the human King John (who was beloved of my best friend, Lady Josie).

Queen Cleo was kind and beautiful, and she ruled her people with affection and grace. She toured the rooms of her three-bedroom, single-family castle in all her long-haired, orange-and-creme colored glory, and her subjects loved her dearly.

King John, however, loved her most of all….

To read the rest of this furry tail, pick up your copy of Animal Lovers today.  Click here to view available locations.

The Strength of a Mother’s Choice: Pursuing your preferences in pregnancy and childbirth, AcadianaMoms magazine, March 2010.

Since discovering last month that I’m pregnant, I’ve read countless articles and birth stories. I’ve followed online discussions covering everything from what foods I should eat to the best laboring positions. Though advice is abundant, it’s often contradictory and sometimes downright controversial. “Breast is best.” “Formula’s fine.” “This hospital can’t be beat.” “When having a baby, there’s no place like home.” In the end, I often feel less informed and more confused than ever. Is there anything I can know for sure?

Traditions of Love: Leaving our children heirlooms of the heart, AcadianaMoms magazine, February 2010.

For many years, I’ve asked myself, “Have I given my children all I can before my time here on earth is done?” I’ve taught them lessons of compassion and fairness. I’ve spoken to them about kindness and responsibility. I’ve done my best to pass on traditions of faith and integrity.  But have I shared with them beautiful things in life I hold close to my own heart?

NaNoWriMo Author Profile:
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/43421

NaNoWriMo Novel-in-Progress:
QUEENS OF THE CATTAILS
Click here to begin at Chapter 1.

Life in Crisis Mode: Surviving hard times in one piece, AcadianaMoms magazine, November 2009.

For me, managing a family of seven is challenging on any given day.  When disaster strikes, it’s all too easy for me to succumb to the stresses — both internal and external — and the house is in constant danger of falling apart.

My Giant, Animal Lovers Guide of Acadiana, November/December 2009

…the thought of someone lurking in the shadows made me very nervous; Piko sensed this.  He trotted ahead of me, ears perked, prepared to warn me if anything was amiss.  My little dog isn’t a foot tall, but walking with him in the dark was like walking with a giant, and I felt safe.

The House at 419: Being aware of neighborhood sex offenders, AcadianaMoms magazine, October 2009.

We moved to Jones Street because it seemed friendly and safe.  In the six years we’d lived there, we’d never felt threatened by anyone or anything.  In a matter of seconds, a little mail-out notice shattered my confidence.  The only thing I could think about was protecting my children, even if it meant moving away.

A Space of Her Own: Creating a Homework Haven, AcadianaMoms magazine, September 2009.

Children are no different from their parents in needing a quiet, comfortable, gratifying workspace.

The Spirit That Never Leaves, Houston Hula School Ka Nu Hou newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 1, September 2009

A single thread I’ve seen woven through the heart of every individual who has lived the way of hula at some point in life…the spirit never leaves you.

The Amazing Dog Park (Click to read .pdf file), Animal Lovers Guide of Acadiana, September/October 2009

When Lafayette opened the community dog park on St. Julien, I wanted more than anything to take my pooch to frolic in the green grasses with all the other happy dogs.  Observing his aggressive behavior at home, however, I thought lawsuits are best avoided.  The dog park would have to wait.

“Hula Holoku” (painting), Houston Hula School Ka Nu Hou newsletter, Vol. 2, Issue 1, September 2009

Four-Letter Tones: Clean speech is not enough, AcadianaMoms magazine, August 2009.

I’ve mistakenly thought our hearts were relatively safe if we successfully kept bad words out of the home…It never occurred to me, however, that an acidic tone of voice can be just as injurious as four-letter words.

Learning to Love, Animal Lovers Guide of Acadiana, August 2009

I discovered, all these years, I’ve never really known my pets.  I’ve been a pet owner — not a pet parent.

The Husband He Will Become: Lessons from Mom on marriage, AcadianaMoms magazine, July 2009.

Divorce can really bring out the ugly side in people.  It’s one of the worst kinds of pain there is.  I never thought I’d survive my parents’ divorce…So many marriages end up that way, but that doesn’t mean yours has to.

Too Intense for the Lens: Keeping kids off the record, AcadianaMoms magazine, June 2009.

Every day on the Internet, another formerly anonymous citizen finds fame on film after starring in a school campus brawl or a wild animal attack.  Altercation and violence are entertaining…Somehow, the wide acceptance of edgy home recordings filtered down to my daughter.

Crayons, Comic Strips, & Creative Writing, Magnolia Home Educators Free SPIRIT Newsletter, June 2009

Through the course of my parent advisement sessions, a common complaint is, “My child is so imaginative but says she hates writing. She won’t do more than the minimum required for a passing grade!”  I believe the root of the problem is, many children never learn to enjoy writing.

I needed some ideas to create a homemade Advent wreath.  A friend shared a magazine clipping from Southern Living (at right).

Since we didn’t have black-eyed peas, we used what we did have: rice.  We didn’t have pillar candles, so I used the votives I keep stocked (Mary’s Candles in Monroe, Louisiana has the richest, yummiest candles in the world. My favorite is “creme brulee.”).

Prissy and Bunny went scavenging in the yard and in the neighborhood for “natural decorations,” since we didn’t have the pomegranate and artichokes shown in the magazine.

The girls did an outstanding job.  They brought back rosebuds, tiny oranges, and cuts of holly from a discarded holly branch.

We put all the elements together in our own wooden bowl, and we couldn’t have been happier with the results.  Now, we have a beautiful wreath arrangement for Advent, a gorgeous centerpiece, and it was 100% free.