Raising an Angel - a column by Mary Kay

Captain’s Log, Stardate 04.14.2020: This is our 34th day of self-quarantine. To survive, we’ve had to adapt to new restrictions and find distractions to prevent ourselves from losing our marbles. *** Easter was quiet. Instead of having family and friends join us to celebrate,…

I learned to cook by my mother’s knee. We baked cookies and kneaded dough. She even would give me cake batter for my turquoise Easy-Bake Oven. Sometimes, Mom would pull up a chair to the kitchen sink for me to stand on.

For the longest time, my daughter’s motto was, “I may not know where I’m going, but I want to get there fast.” Jessie wore overalls as a kid, which gave me something to hold onto. But she started pulling me by the hand as she…

For many kids, September typically means it’s time to go back to school. But for my daughter, Jessie, it was a continuation. Jessie was fortunate to have a year-round program, or at least I felt that way at the time. Due to her significant delays, the…

If my daughter, Jessie, doesn’t like what she hears, she will walk away. When her boyfriend — more of a buddy than a romantic interest — gets frustrated, he raises his voice and curses like a sailor. Jessie is unimpressed by his outbursts and avoids him…

I was on sabbatical this summer and didn’t write for Bionews Services or my blog. Sometimes you don’t realize how burned out you are until you stop. But the longer I went without writing, the more anxious I became. When people asked if we…

This past weekend was action-packed from front to back. There was Jessie’s last dance of the season, a wedding to which the whole family was invited (doesn’t always happen), and another wedding that Jessie was expected to attend (we were the transportation). Actually, we are friends of the…

Last week, on a clear, sunny day, we decided to go on a hike. My daughter Jessie complained every step of the way, and I loved every minute of it. Not really, but I’ve learned to accept her lack of enthusiasm over the years. It seems whenever I…

Jessie took the Goober Grape out of the cabinet and handed it to me. I said, “Oh, you are hungry, I need to find some bread,” and proceeded to look for a loaf. Then I had to tell her we were out and that we would…

Well, well, well, if Jess isn’t turning into a regular 007. Typically, when caught, she’s a deer in headlights, but not this time. While we were getting dressed for a Sweet 16 party, Jess was helping herself to treats tucked away…