Archive for January 2015

How to choose a sympathy card: Thoughts from a grief counselor

I had to pick out a sympathy card yesterday, for some wonderful people who’d had an unexpected and devastating loss. So I went to Walgreens where I found a section full of flowery and reassuring messages: Celebrating the Home-going; A Journey with the Lord; Where there is sadness, love plants a garden… I found several... Read more »
By Ms. Crankypants,
January 30, 2015 at 8:29 am • 

The Unexplained: The writer who wrote about twins

I had a young cousin who once declared that twins should be called “doublets.” It made a cute story within the family because it was, well, so cute from a child just learning the world. But it was also right on the money: instead of being a single, no-one-like-me child, a twin went through life... Read more »
By Ms. Crankypants,
January 28, 2015 at 10:10 pm • 

You have a story to tell, whether you think you can write or not

Every one of us is a writer. Take me. These days, I’m a blogger who is also working on a serious book project. But for years about all the writing I did was counseling notes after sessions with my clients, my annual Christmas letter, grocery lists, and the occasional journal entry when I had a... Read more »
By Ms. Crankypants,
January 28, 2015 at 8:53 am • 
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The person I would like to meet: Clara Driscoll the real designer of Tiffany lamps

I have a soft spot for unsung heroes, those who labor and create but watch someone else get all the credit. When it comes to Clara Driscoll, Louis Comfort Tiffany is the guy who got the credit. Clara worked for him at Tiffany Studios where she designed the most famous leaded glass lamps – Dragonfly,... Read more »
By Ms. Crankypants,
January 20, 2015 at 9:59 am • 

Breaking up is hard to do: I still miss my old house

Each life has one perfect house, if it’s lucky, one place that is just right for the time, that holds so many memories that it would take weeks to unwind them. It is a house of innocence, of not knowing what is coming your way, good and bad.  Mine was in the last town I... Read more »
By Ms. Crankypants,
January 16, 2015 at 9:55 am • 

My act of courage: A cemetery, a water tower, and overcoming grief

It was early summer, just before the fireflies come out. I grabbed my fresh-out-of-college daughter, hopped in the car, and headed to Minneapolis for a seminar on grief. If we were like everyone else, we would drive around the city, visit the mega-mall and other sights, and three days later, drive home. But we weren’t... Read more »
By Ms. Crankypants,
January 12, 2015 at 1:22 pm • 
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