Practice makes perfect, or so goes the saying. But perfect? I don't want to strive for perfection. That just turns me into a stress monster with Martha Stewart Disease (see recent Tea Party post). And practice? Isn't that just a heaping bowlful of boring? Seriously, now that no parent is standing over me making me… Continue reading Practice Makes Perfect . . . But I Prefer Peace
Author: Amy Daniewicz
Food Good
I'd like to start posting more often than I do now, which is probably a long shot given that summer has just begun and no babysitting fairies have nested in my attic. But I'm just going to put it out there in the hopes that my public declaration will help with the follow through. (Oh,… Continue reading Food Good
Please, World—A Small Request
My husband thinks this post is the equivalent of my inner old man raising a shaky finger to the air and lecturing whomever will listen, "Missy, back in my day . . . ." If you're in no mood for a rant on a dying grammar rule, you may want to click about elsewhere. It… Continue reading Please, World—A Small Request
A Tea Par-TEE Makes Me Cra-ZEE
I'm working on about five different posts at the moment, but I can't seem to get a single one to completion. My brain is definitely elsewhere, and I'll tell you where it's gone: to Crazy Tea Party Land. This weekend, we (I) will be hosting a birthday party for my daughter, who is turning five,… Continue reading A Tea Par-TEE Makes Me Cra-ZEE
I’m Afraid of Everything, But Maybe That’s Not So Horrible
These past two weeks, I have been a bit of a disaster. Not as in real disaster, like the people who, as I tell the kids, have "super big problems," like those people who lost their homes or much, much worse to a tornado or a flood or a war these past few weeks. Fortunately… Continue reading I’m Afraid of Everything, But Maybe That’s Not So Horrible
An Unabashedly Happy Progress Report
Back in the day, when I had an actual job (at a charitable foundation) and wore black pants (polyester) and heels (weensy) on a regular basis, I read a lot of progress reports. I used to wonder if the writers of these progress reports stressed over them before emailing them to me at the final… Continue reading An Unabashedly Happy Progress Report
Beauty, Beauty, on the Wall
My husband and I recently experienced a freakish anomaly, an outlier event, an aberration of epic proportions . . . we cooperated over home decor. Odd, disorienting even. It all has to do with a problem that's been plaguing us since we moved into our home two and a half years ago: what to do… Continue reading Beauty, Beauty, on the Wall
Dear President Obama: A Letter for Peace
This afternoon I will go out and buy some quality, old-fashioned stationary at the one store in Austin that still carries any. Then I will write all 1,000+ of these words out and mail them to our president. Will anyone besides the intern with the Santa-sized sack of letters read this? Doubtful. Still, it felt… Continue reading Dear President Obama: A Letter for Peace
Love, Romance, and Real-Life Princesses
I do my best to live under a rock, but even I know that, as my husband told our daughter today, "a real-life princess is getting married tomorrow." I don't know too many details, except that the real-life princess (or soon-to-be, rather) is beautiful, wears some really cute clothes (and crazy-ass hats), and seems nice,… Continue reading Love, Romance, and Real-Life Princesses
Who Can Boast the Most Compost?
It appears to be the obsessing time of the month for me—when I lower my head, stick it in some giant book or in front of the computer, and emerge a couple of days later with a great deal more knowledge on the topic du mois. This month, if last night's up-until-1:30 a.m. research-fest was… Continue reading Who Can Boast the Most Compost?
Spring
I just got back from spending too much time, and even more money, at Central Market on my weekly grocery shopping trip. I blame it on the fancy cheese lady, who was so friendly as she handed out tiny samples of "goat cheeses from around the world!" with disarming dexterity. And the giant, shiny salmon… Continue reading Spring
Each of These, My Three Babies
A while ago an old friend from college, who was then pregnant with her third child, asked me if I had any words of advice on the subject of going from two kids to three. I thought about it for a bit, and then I told her that with my first child, his first birthday… Continue reading Each of These, My Three Babies
On Feeling Empty and Being a Fool
I am usually of many words, but tonight I am tired and only have a few. A week ago I received some constructive criticism about my writing from a person who is very important to me, and it sent me reeling. My confidence was shattered in an instant. This person didn't view my writing in… Continue reading On Feeling Empty and Being a Fool
Ode to Ovulation
The monthly call to fertility is exhilarating, but in our house, we've come to eye it with suspicion. My husband was kind enough to print out this article from the New York Times for me yesterday. The author, John Tierney, discusses one of my favorite topics, the invisible powers possessed by ovulating women, and highlights… Continue reading Ode to Ovulation
Valentine’s Day, We Meet Again
Is this a happy holiday? Hearts cut out of doilies, cuddly teddy bears, and cakes with pink roses. It sure seems like it ought to be. So why does it feel like the arch-enemy to my sense of peace and sanity? I've been dreading this day for the past several weeks, when it first popped… Continue reading Valentine’s Day, We Meet Again
Amy Daniewicz 