Regular crazy was replaced by holiday crazy last week. In the days leading up to the long weekend, which included friends from out of town, my daughter’s birthday, Thanksgiving and two family Christmas parties, I became a mega bitch.

 As much as I’d like to blame the steroids I was temporarily on, I cannot. My husband aptly noted that my pre-event frenzy was completely predictable.

Shockingly I didn't get pissed off by his comment, because I recognized the truth in it. When it comes to events and hosting, I tend to go a bit overboard. The frustrating ...

Fresh off a weekend with 11 dear friends, I am exhausted and my voice is still raw, but my soul is rejuvenated replenished.

Woven in among the glasses of wine and cocktails, the reading of US Weekly, the dancing and attempts at twerking, the eating and the far too many discussions about poop, there was also life at its grittiest.

We talked of relationships with spouses, friends, children and parents; of changing identities; of careers and lack thereof; of dreams left to be realized; of growing older and of growing wiser.

Not a single topic was left unturned, unanalyzed (some ...

In two days, I will head to Colorado for a girlfriend weekend with 10 friends. We’ve rented a house to celebrate the 40th birthdays of three of us.

It is a tradition begun when the first of us turned 40. There will be laughing, eating, drinking, inappropriate and weird conversations, and more laughing.

For three months, I have looked forward to this trip, but this week I’ve felt oddly apprehensive about this first visit back to my old home.

My life in Milwaukee is nothing like the one I left in Colorado, but it somehow fits better. Not ...

This morning I woke from a dream involving technical difficulties in Skyping with friends far away. The melancholy of the dream combined with PMS led to me crying into my coffee grounds.

Remember that horrible homesickness the first night you spent away from home? That was me this morning. I wondered how I would survive two more months before I headed to Colorado to celebrate my 40th birthday with “my girls.” Then, as I swapped my third text with one of these friends, I remembered this wonderful invention called the telephone.

In a world full of email, texting and Facebook ...

Who was your favorite teacher?

For me, it was Mrs. Makowski, who I was lucky enough to have in second grade and again in fifth. I don’t remember much about her other than that she was very tall and had dark hair. Mostly I remember that she made me feel confident and smart. She was the teacher who instilled my love of story-telling. 

The lessons you learn from good teachers stay with you for life.

Friday my daughter said goodbye to her first teacher, “Maitresse,” the most amazing teacher and one of the most amazing people I have ever ...