Month: October 2025

New Orleans 2025

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it’s been a great day after a peaceful night. I slept like a child on a hard mattress, which I love, then walked to get beignets, walked to the sculpture garden, and have been hanging out in a bike shop below the bike group in New Orleans who is hosting the meeting, reading and dozing.

their bike shop is about 20 times as big as ours, with a sitting area with a leather couch that is (the sitting area) as big as our whole shop.

I wish there was more talk about bike stuff; but it is Halloween in New Orleans and there are 20 of us here and we will figure it out!

New Orleans Here I Come

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boarding now for my flight to New Orleans after an excellent, sustaining, successful day of meetings. It started when my kids were young but continues to this day … I call planes ‘plane spa’ and love them even if I am in the back row, middle seat. I can nap! No one can reach me! I read! It’s just awesome.

this is a work trip, ish, and I don’t usually travel for work, so it’s kind of fun. Of course I’m getting beignets and of course I won’t go out on New Orleans Halloween (I drank my way through New Orleans in college and no need to do it again, thank you).

My daughter’s birthday was excellent yesterday; loved her gifts; loved her fancy dinner; loved her friends. Still stunned 16 years have gone by; still hopeful she is resilient and/or learns resiliency. Shes rowing 5k by herself this weekend, as is her brother! Go kids go; that I’ll be sorry to miss.

Okay, in the plane hallway … plane spa begins!

16 years old today

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My beloved first daughter turned 16 today. We reminisced about the years … well, my husband and I did. The other two kids said memories and I said, ‘and what did daughter do?’ And they both said: she was there. So, you know, teens. I worry about this kid so much; 16 and in her second year at a high school surrounded by kids she doesn’t know and sloooowly making friends and struggling under the weight of 3 AP classes and one junior level science class. But my youngest struggled for 2 years in her school and now is surrounded by friends at all times. I know this one will get there; I just wish I could smooth it over, make ‘it’ easy. What is it? Life, I guess. An author at blog I read (and love: Cup of Jo) just talked about how she lets her kids be upset so they learn self-regulation. And it’s such a good idea! And I want to say I do it! And … I don’t think I do. Hell i struggle with self regulation; I hope my children deal with sadness and hardship (that life inevitably offers) better than their father and I do.

anyway. She’s 16. She’s out to dinner at a DC sushi restaurant with one friend from 3rd grade and one new friend. I just finished my run and I’m writing in my blog. We’re all going to be fine.

Center of the World; Moved

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I spent a long time I was wishing the center of the world — that people would pay MORE ATTENTION to me. Then I spent a long time centering my children — hoping that they saw and felt that they were/are the CENTER OF MY WORLD. I probably fell short on that, but it is what I hoped to convey. And now, as I have said before, the oldest is preparing to leave for college in the fall. He has chosen a school I am not in love with and would not have chosen for him; a path I am not in love with and would not have chosen for him. But I am super proud of HIM and how self-aware and clear on what he wants he is.

I also am having trouble with the ‘lasts’ — this is the last time he will do X with us, or Y. I am trying to focus on HE’S NOT GONE YET — and also not focusing on BUT THE OTHER TWO WILL BE GOING TOOOOO SOON. Instead, treasuring each dinner/evening, even if we mostly sit on our own phones in our own rooms — checking in with each other, grabbing a hug.

We traveled together last weekend — and what a gift that time was, even as he was with friends and I was with my friends — time to see him, to grab his leg and smile at him, to shout his name LOUDLY as he competed, and to celebrate with him when he did well.

He’s leaving, but he’s not gone yet. And when he does, the center of my world will shift, again, but I hope he knows and feels that no matter how far away he goes/is, he is still very much centered in my world.