Tutoring a four year old to get into an exclusive preschool made as much sense as hiring a swim coach for a guppy.

This is when I realize that Anna has already left the table, and more importantly, that nobody noticed.

Memory is like plaster: peel it back and you just might find a completely different picture.

I don't know what he means by that, but I nod and smile at him. You'd be surprised at how far that response can get you in a conversation where you are completely confused.

I don't base my books on my life (thank goodness) and I don't pick the topic first. In fact, the topic picks me - via a question I can't answer as a mom, a wife, a woman, an American. I find myself wondering "What if..." and it blossoms into a whole novel.

If you choose to be looking for something, you'd better be ready for whatever it is you are find. Because it may not be what you've been expecting.

So much of marriage was implicit and nonverbal. Had I gotten so complacent I'd forgotten to communicate?