The smoke poured in from the hallways. The fire below raged like a huge demon. They could die of smoke inhalation. They could die in the flames. They could die when the floor collapsed under their feet. Or they could be free. They made a choice. Perhaps for some there was a wild glimmer of … read more Flying, falling
Category: Improvisation
The Adventure Girl Cookbook: Improvising a Life. Recipes, ideas and stories about creativity, mindfulness and improvisation as a major ingredient in art, food, work, life
The trouble with food
My biggest struggle these days is something I used to love as a creative act: cooking. I make three meals a day, on as much of a schedule as we can manage in between medical appointments and trying to have a life, because it’s important in keeping Tom’s blood sugar regulated. But the restrictions mean … read more The trouble with food
The Monkey’s Paw
Every time I’ve seen a wish granted that didn’t turn out so well, I mutter, “Monkey’s paw.” Be damn careful what you wish for. In fact, just stop wishing altogether. Maybe you read the short story by W. W. Jacobs, “The Monkey’s Paw,” in grade school, like I did. The story was written in 1902, … read more The Monkey’s Paw
Food fun
Dinner in a box didn’t used to be anything but KFC and other junk food. Today we got a delivery from Peach Dish, one of the new online services that offers fresh ingredients and easy recipes brought to your doorstep each week. There were snafus in the ordering process, so this box was unexpected. I had … read more Food fun
A change of plan
Chance of thunderstorms was around 50 percent, but we thought the skies had cleared. The last lightning strike had hit more than 45 minutes before. So we piled into the car to drive to the pool. We really wanted to go swimming. It’s still hot, another long day, and we wanted to exercise in the water. Skies were grey … read more A change of plan
Sunday therapy
Finally, a day off. Slept in. After I made coffee and brunch I was free for a few hours to write while Tom was reading. Like a normal Sunday. We came up with an ambitious agenda for the afternoon and evening. We wanted to go to the playfield so that Tom could walk on the track, … read more Sunday therapy
Taking a shower
Tom startled me by confessing he’d taken a shower. By himself. Those of us who haven’t had a stroke take a shower every day, without thinking about it. For Tom, this accomplishment is real cause for celebration. It’s made up of so many individual accomplishments, each of which took hours of therapy and exercise to perfect. First, being … read more Taking a shower
Roll of the Dice
When I was about 6 years old, my sister Maggie accused me of cheating in Yahtzee. Although I was a smart kid, cheating at dice was out of my league. Maggie was just mad because I was lucky. I’m not the kind of lucky where I can pick the winning horse at the track. Not that … read more Roll of the Dice
Clogged drains
As a plumber’s daughter, I have a genetic dislike of Drano, Liquid Plumber and other uber-chemical solutions to clogged drains. They eat pipes. And they aren’t too great for septic systems, either. So I usually use a little wire snake for the bathroom sink, and hot water with baking soda and vinegar for the kitchen. … read more Clogged drains
Are we not men?
Ruby Kusturd is made of the world’s largest crystal ruby, 30,090 karats. Shaping a gem of that size into a swirl of soft ice cream was Mark Mothersbaugh’s way of mocking both fine jewelry and fine art. The swirl is a bit reminiscent of the conical hats worn by the band Devo, for which Mothersbaugh was the lead … read more Are we not men?