Essays

	Confessions of a fair-weather gardener Now is the time of year for growth and rebirth. Armed with packets of seeds, my children and I have begun planting. We will grow green beans, pumpkins, zucchini, carrots, and sunflowers in peat moss cups in our sunroom. Later we will plant them outdoors and buy tomato plants, basil, and oregano to fill out our mix. The mint will come up again and the strawberry plants as well. The children label wooden Popsicle sticks in crayon with a name and a picture for each kind of plant. I start out every spring with high hopes. ... — Published in Newton TAB on June 14, 2006. Click on the article icon to view the whole article.
	Transformation The sun is rising. It is a weekday morning. Across our country, thousands of working women are engaged in a timeless ritual. It is the transformation from “Mom” to competent professional on the job. It is the most difficult part of the day. The ritual is timeless because time is a murky factor in the equation. Even though one’s children are up at a designated time, say 6:30am, it does not mean all will run smoothly for them to arrive at their destination — school, preschool or daycare — on time. Getting children ready in the morning is like the economy. Just as economists have trouble predicting if the job market is growing or stagnating because of the many factors involved, so it is with getting children prepared to start their day. ... — Published in Western New York Family Magazine in May 2006. Click on the article icon to view the whole article.
	Boy or girl: Does it matter? — A mother of two sons and one girl tells all “Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?” Anyone who is pregnant may quickly tire of hearing this question over and over. We can’t resist asking because the boy/girl mystique intrigues us so much. Does it really matter what you are having? In a soothing tone of voice, well-meaning friends and relatives will tell us it does not. Frankly it does. Your life will be different if you have a boy or a girl. That’s especially true if ... — Published in Parents and Kids Magazine in July 2005. Click on the article icon to view the whole article.
	Rising tide of visitors laps at South County’s door It’s that time of year again. The temperature is soaring, and people are flocking to South County. Suddenly, the urban block or suburban neighborhood where you live has become stifling and claustrophobic. Your vision is met with fenced-off yards, simmering sidewalk, and too many buildings. You begin to notice the cigarette butts and soda caps littering the edge of the sidewalk. The smell of hot concrete and exhaust fumes seem to propel you toward the ocean: to South County beaches, fishing piers, boat yards, yacht clubs. The fresh salt air and the open expanse of water beckon you. ... — Published in Lifestyles Magazine, Providence Sunday Journal on July 18, 2004. Click on the article icon to view the whole article.

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