May 7, 2021Eleven Years Ago my Mother Killed Herself on Mother’s Day (and I have learned so much)This morning I woke up at 5am and did my morning pages. I’ve started The Artist’s Way for the second time, and doing The Artist’s Way involves writing three pages each morning. The pages can be about anything. This morning I wrote about the florescent blue sky and sound outside…Abuse9 min readAbuse9 min read
Dec 24, 2020How to Find a Good Nanny (and Keep Them)We all know how challenging it is to find good childcare, especially since Covid has changed our lives so drastically. I decided to write this piece from a nanny’s perspective (I actually prefer the term childcare provider). I’m a professional childcare provider, with over two decades of experience. I’ve also…Childcare8 min readChildcare8 min read
Published inAge of Awareness·Jul 29, 2020Wildland Firefighters are Getting Covid. Many Don’t Have Health Insurance.For four years, I worked as a hotshot, an elite wildland firefighter. Hotshots are crews of 18–22 initial attack firefighters, often the first to arrive on fires and charged with working closest to the flames. They typically work over a thousand hours of overtime each summer. …Health7 min readHealth7 min read
Jul 24, 2020Reframing “Fighting” Wildland FireFighting fire. I’ve said this phrase countless times. I worked as a wildland firefighter but never stopped to consider the phrase fighting fire. Since the late 1800’s wildfires, or any agricultural fires in the United States, have been perceived as destructive. Few explorers who came west were able to see…Fire Fighters4 min readFire Fighters4 min read
May 10, 2019Physical Sunscreens vs. Chemical Sunscreens: Which Should You Use?Many people are unaware that there are two different “types” of sunscreens out there. That makes sense, because there are also a myriad of brands and price points to choose from. Navigating all of the information regarding which sunscreens are the safest can be a daunting task. As a nanny…Sunscreen3 min readSunscreen3 min read
Apr 18, 2019Use Less Plastic. Or None. I Mean It. Here’s How.By now most of us have seen the heartbreaking pictures of how human plastics consumption is impacting our oceans. The pictures of beached whales with their stomachs gaping to reveal pounds of plastic debris; photos of tiny fish with bands of plastic tightly wrapped around their delicate bodies, seabirds dead…Environment5 min readEnvironment5 min read
