For someone who enjoys and tends to thrive on change, you’d think I wouldn’t be all that into traditions, but you would be wrong. I actually really like them. I’m not talking about stuffy, limiting, patriarchal societal traditions, but the personal ones that start on a whim or are passed down through generations that bring a sense of joy and excitement.

When November hits, there always seems to be a conversation or should I say, debate, among the masses on when to put up the Christmas tree. The unofficial "official" start of the holiday season lies somewhere within this month. Some like the tree up on November 1st, others the day after Thanksgiving, while some wait until December. If the tree debate wasn't controversial enough, in recent years we’ve also started to see an expansion of when holiday decor starts showing up in stores.

As Anne Shirley once said, “I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” The month of October and the autumn season are my favorite of the year. The air gets cooler (or there is the promise of cooler air, ha), the leaves put on an amazing show of color, and it’s a countdown to my favorite holiday, Halloween!

For as long as I can remember music has been a huge part of my life. Some of my earliest memories come from songs, dances, and performances I did as a small child. One distinct memory I have is acting out scenes from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ as a toddler, no more than three or four. I sang “follow the yellow brick road” skipping through the living room while the movie played.

When August rolls around, I always find myself wishing to be Up North. For Michiganders, the line that separates North and Up North is contested. As a born Ohioan and newly formed Michigander, I don’t have a strong opinion on where this border lies. Everyone could make a separate argument for their opinion, and I would probably agree with all of them.

When this musing goes live on July 5th, it will be one day after the 249th anniversary of American Independence. There are two areas of history that I have always been intrigued by- the American Revolution and World War II. While I have studied history over the years, even finishing a minor in the subject post-grad, I do not call myself a historian.

My love for the city of Detroit is deeply intertwined with my fandom of Tigers baseball. There couldn’t be one without the other. Fifteen years ago, I made a trip to Detroit to take my brother to a Tigers game for his birthday, and found myself enthralled with the spirit of the city, the team, and a player named Miguel Cabrera.

If you would have told me 15 years ago that the trip I was about to take to Detroit for a Tigers baseball game with my brother would quickly turn into a 15-year love affair, I never would have believed you. But that is exactly what happened. That warm, sunny, summer day in 2010 changed everything. I was just along for the ride to celebrate my brother’s birthday and keep my promise of taking him to a Tigers game in Detroit after he went to a baseball game in Cleveland with me the year before.

I hope you read (or sang) the title of this post to the tune of “Physical” by Olivia Newton-John. If you didn’t before, I hope you are now! And if you have no idea what I’m talking about, have a listen and watch the music video here. (Enjoy the glistening man candy… you’re welcome). So. Things are not all that great right now.

In full transparency, I wasn’t sure if I should write and publish something about my grandma. I wasn’t sure if she would want me to. I wasn’t sure if the people who also knew her would want me to. But I’m a big believer in signs and all the signs pointed to writing this, so I am! I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to share- I had thoughts of writing a eulogy I never gave, the lessons I learned from her, and finally, after reading the below quote I understood what I should write about: …

When I look back on my writing journey, my memory likes to trick me into thinking there was a period of time when I didn’t write. But this is just simply not true. The kind of writing I’ve accomplished in my life has definitely varied throughout the years though.  As a young person, I thoroughly enjoyed my English classes in school that were filled with reading books and story writing.

It’s snowing again in Detroit. A sign that we are still in the midst of winter. Fortunately though we are now halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox, which means spring is on the way! I also feel like I am somewhere between winter and spring, and I’m not just talking about where we are seasonally this time of year.