Skip to content

Beyond 100 episodes #30BrighterDays

    I got to see my friend Leah last night.   Leah grew up down the street from me in Madison, but we really became friends when she hired me to help her sell syndicated TV time in Chicago in 1999. The benchmark for syndication is 100 episodes. Every TV series hopes to hit that golden threshold, though relatively few survive that many seasons. Syndication (aka reruns) equals a big payout for everyone involved. The Ann and Leah series spans decades, with plenty more than 100 episodes and counting.  She makes me smile in every single… Read More »Beyond 100 episodes #30BrighterDays

    Not Awesome! Still worth it. #30BrighterDays

      Sunday night we went to a neighborhood festival on the other side of town, aka the cool side. We drove in circles for twenty minutes looking for parking. We eventually found a place a mile away, which added a fun layer for the younger half of us not crazy about the idea of going to the festival in the first place, and especially not crazy about walking on legs, generally speaking. After our parking pilgramage, we enjoyed our free entry at long-last, only to spend thirty minutes circling the food tents deciding which treat to… Read More »Not Awesome! Still worth it. #30BrighterDays

      Lunch Forever (and maybe why our parents always want to feed us) #30BrighterDays

        An addendum to yesterday’s list of chores for my kids: packing lunches. I still pack their lunches. I packed my own lunch starting in third grade; usually a piece of baloney–dry, straight-up–on white bread with an apple chaser. But I decided I might pack my kids lunches for ever. Listen, I have zero desire to return to Life With Littles, however nowhere in tween/teen parenting can you find the pure satisfaction that comes from the thorough completion of all-child-needs attended to, as one does with a well-fed, straight out of the bath, wrapped in a… Read More »Lunch Forever (and maybe why our parents always want to feed us) #30BrighterDays

        A-Okay #30BrighterDays

          Sometimes tiny kids wake-up from naps uber-grumps with flaming cheeks and whiny cries. They drink their milk with a pinched brow and refuse to be put down. We used to call those “hard wake-ups.” Monday morning I woke up to my least favorite thing– a dirty kitchen full of last night’s dishes, and no Mr. Coffee waiting. Typically my husband Ben cleans the kitchen at night and prepares Mr. Coffee, but he was ill and coughing all night long.  As my body temperature soared, I realized the air conditioner had broken overnight. Naturally I then… Read More »A-Okay #30BrighterDays

          Do you know what time it is? #30BrighterDays time.

            “Do you know what time it is?” my friend and neighbor Pat called to me from her garden this morning. “9:42” I said. “Do you know what time it is?” She repeated. “It’s raspberry time! Want a pint?” Her husband Mel came out the door with my rasbperries before I could even respond absolutely I want a pint.   It’s time for neighbors and berries and brighter days. Who’s with me? *** #30BrighterDays is a practice I developed for the purpose of practice– practicing noticing, practicing creative expression, and practicing brightening my perspective. I welcome… Read More »Do you know what time it is? #30BrighterDays time.

            We’re Invited

              Next week we’re invited to a fifth grade celebration and an eighth grade passage ceremony, back-to-back on the same day. We’re invited with an exceptionally happy bunch of balloons, a bowl of ramen noodles, and two cherries (with shine spots!) on top. We’re invited to say goodbye to our neighborhood elementary school; the one that educated, housed, and nurtured our family for nine years. We’re invited to say goodbye to a bazillion “Hi Mrs. Imig/Miss Ann/ Ms. MaxElliott’s Mom!!” volunteer and chaperone hours, storytime, spelling bees, four square, safety patrol, backpack art, Hannukkah Mom, and… Read More »We’re Invited

              The brightness of your 2500 stories #30BrighterDays

                WOO WOO WIERDO POST ALERT, DAD AND OTHER LOVING SKEPTICS. *** Somehow I’ve always known that I wouldn’t be able to even begin to take-in the power of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER until I could step away from it entirely. Yesterday, one year almost to the day of the project finale, I received a gift from friends of a session with intuitive coach/guide Thea Sullivan. As one part of our session, Thea took me through an energy clearing meditation. You probably know the experience of guided meditation; deep breathing, relaxation, and imagery. Well I breathed out a… Read More »The brightness of your 2500 stories #30BrighterDays

                Magic Minutes #30BrighterDays

                  Like many parents, we split the driving and errands. Recently it dawned on us that instead of always dividing up, sometimes we can share the labor and enjoy an uninterrupted conversation. Umm, NO DOY Ann and Ben?? I can’t explain why this took so long for us to see, except to say that as waitstaff you always try to get the most done in the least amount of trips. One person puts up the chairs after lunch rush while the other mops. Same with parenting tween/teens; one person drives to Hebrew school, while the other… Read More »Magic Minutes #30BrighterDays

                  Northern Splendor: The Beauty of a Bright New Day #30BrighterDays

                    The beauty of a bright new day! ― Lailah Gifty Akita No place makes me feel the brightness of a new day like Grand Marais, MN. I wrote about it for the May 2018 issue of Brava Magazine. Northern Splendor Tickets are selling quickly for my new show (Thursday evening 6/21) YOU AGAIN: an evening of songs and stories to benefit MOMS DEMAND ACTION. Enjoy Broadway favorites and original stories about midlife, marriage, and motherhood–with accompanist Mark Wurzelbacher–all in support of MOMS DEMAND ACTION gun violence prevention efforts. Venue is small and seating is limited–don’t wait! Buy… Read More »Northern Splendor: The Beauty of a Bright New Day #30BrighterDays

                    #30BrighterDays Lights On

                      My day started sluggishly. After helping the kids out the door, I lay on the couch, scrolling through my phone and bemoaning my (practical, sound, UN-FUN) decision not to join my writer friends at a conference this week in California. My friend Jim posted on Facebook about the miracle of an ordinary day, and a reminder to get busy living. I took it as a cue to get the hell off of Facebook. As it poured rain, I ran on the treadmill watching a comedy special. Moving and laughing shook off a little gloom. By… Read More »#30BrighterDays Lights On