Pun intended. November is such an intriguing month. It starts at a time when many believe the veil between the living and dead is extremely thin. A time when our loved ones, our relatives on the other side, can communicate more clearly with us. In November we vote, and then it ends with a celebration that for some reminds us of how some took over this land long ago and ripped relatives apart and for others brings relatives together at a table with food and drink and hopef

My grandma Nada was an artist. She saw the world through color and form. When I was little she would take me to her favorite Italian restaurant in Chicago. She’d tell me, “the food’s pretty good here but I come for the table cloths.” Each table was adorned with a big sheet of white butcher paper. In her purse she had an array of colored pencils and pens. She would whip them out as soon as we sat down and start to draw. First and foremost a doting grandma, she would teach

My daughters and I are spending the better part of this summer apart. In two days they leave with their daddy and the following week I leave the country with my new love. For a month... This is the longest and the farthest we have ever been apart. Think of it. These beings were once so close to me that they nestled in under my ribs. Their daily music was my breath and heartbeat, their nourishment was my life force. The first letting go was allowing them to leave the safe

Three years ago I was lonely. Three years ago, if you had told me this: "Jenna, in three years you will be living with the man of your dreams in a loving, healthy, thriving relationship and you haven't felt lonely since that first day you accidentally grabbed his arm while crossing the street." I would have despairingly replied - yeah right, I don't think the universe wants me to have love. I'm not lovable. Well... that was three years ago and low and behold I am in the most