What’s your last name? Coombs. Spell it. C-O-O-M as in Mary – B as in Boy – S as in Sam. Coombs. That’s a weird name… Okay… Yesterday, I drove into Boston for my first Covid-19 shot at the Hynes Convention Center. As someone who’s stayed pretty isolated this past year, I was relieved andContinue reading “A Little Jab’ll Do Ya!”
Category Archives: blog
We made it. Good job, house.
It’s approaching six years since we bought our Massachusetts fixer upper. The renovations, repairs, fantasy addition, and landscape design we’d imagined a la HGTV never happened. Hell, I’m still working on painting the kitchen cabinet doors I took off right before we moved in and by “working” I mean I’ve finished painting and put upContinue reading “We made it. Good job, house.”
Tom Nook, PsyD
If not for a pandemic, I don’t know if the March 20 release of Animal Crossing New Horizons would have been such an important event for our family. But it was. At least for me: the 50 year old who had never played the game before. I’m reminded of this every morning I wake upContinue reading “Tom Nook, PsyD”
K-dramas or bust
My 11 and 14 year old daughters turned me on to Korean dramas back in early January; it was inevitable I suppose given their love of Korean music. Since then – as we navigate this “new normal” we all live in – our family has turned to them for nightly escape, either watching shows onContinue reading “K-dramas or bust”
Homeschooling: your mileage may vary
This essay was published in the local newspaper on April 1. Nearly four years ago, I removed my kids from public school and, with the help of an experienced and local homeschooling friend, created an education plan for the following academic year. That summer was spent acquiring textbooks, magazine subscriptions, elementary and middle school mathContinue reading “Homeschooling: your mileage may vary”
Trying something new
Because my spouse and I don’t really go in for Valentine’s Day (except for that one time when he – very out of character – proposed while I was suffering from a horrible steak-induced stomach ache), this year I decided to gift myself something that I’d wanted for a while. So, after weighing the prosContinue reading “Trying something new”
I still don’t miss you, Facebook
Historically, I work better in small groups. Because I’m not a very social person, I think I was always a little ambivalent about Facebook as a useful service. For many years after opening my account in 2008, I limited it to people I actually had a personal relationship with: family, close friends, close acquaintances, etc.Continue reading “I still don’t miss you, Facebook”
Kids, do you know what “triage” means?
It’s never a good sign when you realize that you’re more than halfway through the school year, but you’ve somehow gone off the rails. And you did so awhile back without noticing. Today is February 10, we only have about four months of school left, and I’m finally accepting that we are very behind. AsContinue reading “Kids, do you know what “triage” means?”
Tip your professor
I had a mentor before I even understood what a mentor was. I had a mentor before I even realized I was being mentored. What I did know was there was someone who saw something in me I could no longer see, if I ever had. She dreamed bigger dreams for me than I dreamedContinue reading “Tip your professor”
One burger, carnivorous style (Writing Prompt 1)
Writing Prompt 1: On a recent trip back from NYC, my 11 year old overheard the following while waiting in line at McDonald’s. “I’ll never look at a burger the same way again since what happened to Peter.” We decided to turn it into a 30 minute writing prompt. Below, is one of my veryContinue reading “One burger, carnivorous style (Writing Prompt 1)”
Our K-pop life
Now that the kids are getting older, in addition to giving physical presents this past Christmas, I decided to also gift each of them with an experience. And with both of them really into music at the moment – K-pop to be specific – I decided to go with concert tickets. Three days ago itContinue reading “Our K-pop life”
Thank you, BTS
Music has never meant as much to me as it did when I was 14. Even in my 20s when I spent the bulk of my money and evenings watching my favorite bands perform throughout Boston, the connection was muffled. Alone in my room with headphones, record on repeat, and pouring over lyrics while sittingContinue reading “Thank you, BTS”
All the news is too much news
A few days ago I realized it was all getting to be too much. News that is. Actually, to be more specific, news commentary. News I can handle. I follow current political events with major newspapers (both local and national) as well as general business, human interest, education and housing, etc. Local newspapers enrage meContinue reading “All the news is too much news”
Ghosts of Christmas past
I will admit to being stuck. Stuck in Christmas past, which — grief aside — has always been my “go to” place this time of the year. There’s something about the holiday that brings back vivid memories of childhood, even more so having watched the excitement and joy of my own two daughters that beginsContinue reading “Ghosts of Christmas past”
A life in 640 words
This past weekend I wrote my brother’s obituary. An obituary that he never would have wanted, but that we needed. This follows the personal tribute I wrote, which was more about what he meant to my life . Writing is always hard. But writing the summary of someone’s life, particularly when you are dealing withContinue reading “A life in 640 words”
Newest feature: Local podcast grows, an interview and download at a time
I just realized it’s been four months since I’ve written a feature. Finally over the hump! Phew. And here she is. I heard a quote on the radio the other day that really resonated with me and properly sums up my writing experience: “I hate to write, but I love having written.” Thank you toContinue reading “Newest feature: Local podcast grows, an interview and download at a time”
12
When I first started this blog and was trying to figure out what I’d fill it with (still working on that), I briefly thought of making it parenting-related since that’s been the major focus of my life for the past 12 years. But then I started thinking that the stories of my kids weren’t reallyContinue reading “12”
A writing studio
Last week I signed the lease on a 285 square foot art studio on the third floor of a refurbished mill building in Lowell. I move into my new writing space on April 1. Perhaps the joke is on me. The idea of renting a studio for writing came out of nowhere. One day I remembered the building fromContinue reading “A writing studio”
A night in Salem
Other than a handful of news and feature articles and the occasional freelance job, my writing production has flatlined. There are a few things rattling around the inside of my head–an essay here, a short story there–but nothing that makes me want to carve out some time to write for hours. The inspiration just hasn’tContinue reading “A night in Salem”
Karina Coombs 