One of my favorite reads from last year was “The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin. If you like strong, awkward, lovable protagonists a la “A Man Called Ove” or “Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine,” you’ll love A.J. Fikry.

The story centers around A.J.’s experience with life after loss, running his bookstore, and unexpectedly building his new life and network. It twists in a critical and delightful way…

We left NY almost a week after mom passed, horrified to leave dad but aching for home. We brought a few of mom’s plants with us, which meant rather than chance the Canadian border officials we would take the US route back to Michigan.

It was the first road trip without mom texting me for updates or me calling her from our dinner stop to check in…

The summer of 2024 felt so sweet, a living memorial of what would come by fall and winter. In the summer we spent days biking, walking, hiking, swimming, beaching, traveling—definitely need additional posts on all of the fun we had—knowing that once school started and cold set in our days would look so different.

Mom completed her final chemo treatment in July and immediately came to Michigan for what would be her last trip…

I recently read the book “Atomic Habits” by James Clear. Most have heard of this book, everyone I’ve spoken to who has read it mentioned re-reading it because it is chock full of rich data on habits, psychology and maximizing the two for overall health and wellness…