The curious case of April Fool’s Day

April 4, 2026

Have you ever stopped to think about the construct of April Fool’s Day? I did. And let me save you some time — it’s mostly theoretical. There’s no universally agreed-upon moment where someone stood up, declared, “Let this be the day we fool one another,” and the world nodded in approval. Historians have theories, of course. Some point to calendar changes in France in the 1500s, others to ancient Roman festivals, and still others to medieval spring celebrations where mischief was part of the fun. But none of it is definitive. And that, to me, is the fascinating ...

Spring isn’t just a season, it’s an invitation

March 21, 2026

So here we are — mid-March, just a day past the astronomical first day of spring, the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. Whether our weather decides to cooperate with what we call spring is another story entirely. Around here, spring tends to flirt more than it commits. One day it’s sunshine and open windows, the next it’s back to gloves, layers and questioning whether winter actually ever ends. We like to define spring as that perfect intersection — not too cold, not too hot. The Goldilocks version of weather. And honestly, this time of year, we all become a little ...

The green light we didn’t know we needed

March 14, 2026

Holy cow — can you believe it? We made it to St. Patrick’s Day weekend. Or, if you’re someone around here who treats it like a full-on holiday season (and honestly, many do), St. Patrick’s Day week. And in my humble — very biased — opinion, this area has always done St. Patrick’s Day the absolute best. I’m talking political celebrities casually popping into staple dive bars. I’m talking Irish Bob’s — my personal favorite back in the day. Face painting everywhere. Corned beef and green beer flowing from dawn until dusk. It isn’t just a day; it’s an ...

In defense of the half-eaten chocolate

March 7, 2026

Now that Valentine’s Day is behind us, I feel like I can say this without causing a family meeting. Valentine’s Day has always been my holiday to dote on my family. Not in the dramatic, rose-petal, rom-com way — but in the way that makes sense for us. This year included teenage boys, which means the details will remain private for everyone’s well-being. But I will say this: they sucked it up and dealt with me. And whether they want to admit it or not, we had fun as a family. There were eye rolls. There were complaints. There was laughter, which, honestly, is kind of our ...

Finding a little comfort between the pages

February 28, 2026

So clearly, I have not been the only one hunkering down at some point or another this winter. If January had a cheerleading squad, it would be chanting over and over again: “Brr! It’s cold in here! I said there must be some Toros in the atmosphere!” Yes, that’s right — I just quoted a cheer from “Bring It On,” a movie I haven’t watched since at least 2005. That’s how cold it has been this winter. When your brain starts pulling out early-2000s movie quotes unprompted, you know the chill has settled in deep. A few weeks ago, I wrote about leaning into the winter ...

Becoming the next version of myself

February 21, 2026

Whelp, I lied to my editor. Back in early January, I emailed her a compilation of articles that could have filled this space until mid-February. I remember writing, “Here you go — just in case. I want to make sure we’re covered. Don’t expect to hear from me until the next article is due.” Well … here we are. One week post-op, and I’m sitting at my laptop typing away. If you all knew the number of text messages I send to myself — half-formed thoughts, strong opinions, fleeting moments, lines I swear I’ll turn into something someday — you probably wouldn’t be ...