Tag Archives: family

Signs that you might be a successful parent, or at least a subversive one

Posted on February 11, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

While driving in the car to therapy, Monkey Man and Gorilla Girl asked me to play Bruce Springsteen on the CD player, specifically “Shackled and Drawn.” We also sang along to my favorite, “Death to My Hometown.” I guess Springsteen … Continue reading →

Posted in children, class, corporate greed, family, singing | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Raiding the cookie jar in 2013

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

When we were kids, back in the stone age, we’d sneak cookies or whatever snacks we could find around the house.  I suppose all kids do this, and always will.  But there is a new twist to the desires of … Continue reading →

Posted in children, family, humor, motherhood | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

How craigslist connects us in the most unexpected ways

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

It has been almost a year since I caved into the allure of purchasing expensive in-home exercise equipment.  My aging ankles consigned me to elliptical machines at the gym, but my six-year olds seemed incompatible with an absentee mom, so … Continue reading →

Posted in children, community, connection, encounters, family, identity, Vietnam | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Olive oil ice cream: knowing who is boss (of the kitchen)

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

First off, I am an ice cream making fool, at least since last summer, when my obsession began. I’ve made an astonishing array of ice cream, including asparagus, most recently. Dorie’s olive oil ice cream, while satisfying and creamy, didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in family, food, ice cream, summer | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Sticky business: pecan sticky buns

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I made these pecan sticky buns from Baking with Julia so long ago that I barely remember what I need to say about them, except that despite my enduring love of butter, these buns had maybe more butter than I … Continue reading →

Posted in family, food | Tagged , , , , | 15 Comments

Feeding the fever

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Saturday was dreary, cold, and blustery. More like a gloomy day in early March than a nearly May Saturday. Monkey Man, Gorilla Girl, and I  were feverish for sunshine, warmth, and spring. Since the sun remained hidden for most of … Continue reading →

Posted in bread, family, food, ice cream, spring | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Riffing on a classic: navarin [boeuf] printanier

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

I’m usually inclined to follow Dorie’s recipes exactly, especially until I feel comfortable with the result.  This week, though, I had several reasons for making some signficant changes. Dorie Greenspan‘s navarin printanier sounded worth a try, but I have never … Continue reading →

Posted in art, family, family meals, food | Tagged , , , , , | 24 Comments

Building nests: nighttime comfort and belonging

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Monkey Man and Gorilla Girl have, for the last several months, even for the last couple of years, been traveling in the middle of the night from their beds to ours. We have developed several theories about why they insist … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, children, family, motherhood, night time rituals | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The accidental friends: unexpected gifts of adoption

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

One of the coincidences of being an adoptive parent is that almost automatically, you have a bond with other adoptive parents. Most of us have many stories to tell about the whys and hows of our choice to build families … Continue reading →

Posted in adoption, children, community, connection, family, friendship | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Why we must stop for death, dear Emily

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Necessity is the Mother of Invention

My students are working on Civil War projects, and obviously, the subject of death has been part of the discussion.  The Civil War is ancient history to them, and even to me, Matthew Brady’s intense images of the dead on … Continue reading →

Posted in death, experience, family, loss, memory, motherhood, photography, rituals | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments