Jan
27
With Matt gone and the weather rather grey, I’ve been spending more than my fair share of time on Pinterest. Most people have a board related to their dream home with photos of lovely wrap-around porches and gorgeous cozy gardens full of fairy lights and comfy chairs. But I’m kind of taken with the life …
Jan
23
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said, according to Plato, that you cannot step in the same river twice due to the constantly-changing nature of the river. It’s a pretty good metaphor for expat life, especially when that expat life involves moving every 2-4 years. I think I’ve mentioned before that I lived in the same general area of a not …
Nov
01
October was a quiet month at Terminal Verbosity. Not only was I busy indulging my francophile tendencies with an amazing trip to Provence, but I was also busy planning my second novel and first National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short) effort. Yes, that means that November will be kind of quiet around here as …
Oct
04
Another September has come and gone. I can already feel the days getting shorter and the light is definitely beginning to wane. Always a month of transition, September has been particularly difficult for me the past five years because the fourteenth of the month marks the untimely death of my father. Although that day was …
Aug
30
When I went to live in France as a student in 1996, I had the choice of living on the International floor in the dorms, living with a host family, or living in an apartment with French students. At a time when I was particularly interested in asserting my independence, but still keen to immerse …
Aug
24
Check out more of this week’s Wordless Wednesday submissions too!
Aug
14
The kids and I arrived in Finland nine months ago almost to the day. Nine and a half months ago, then, we packed everything we owned into a 40′ shipping container and sent it off on a long journey via train, boat, and truck to our new home in Helsinki. We had decluttered enough of …
Aug
11
When we moved to Finland last fall, we made a conscious decision to live in city-center and rely on public transport. This seemed reasonable for several reasons: Gabriel’s school is just a few kilometers away, we live right by a tram stop, and we were heading into icy winter driving conditions. I congratulated myself for …
Aug
10
I’ve never been one of those moms who cried at milestones. I’ve looked forward to the first solid food, the first steps, the first loose tooth, and even the first day of school. It’s hard not to be excited when your kids are absolutely desperate to escape you and each otherover the moon at the …
Jun
13
When I was five years old, I remember people asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Makes sense. I do it now all the time with my own children because what they say is so darned funny (Gabriel alternates between paleontologist, astronaut, caveman, and bad guy, while Lily says things like …
Chatter