“But I thought our job was to put ourselves out of business!” My objection was heartfelt, but my coworkers squirmed. I glanced around the room. …

Key to a Life Beyond Crumbs (And Making a Difference) I said NO recently. Twice. And it’s kind of a big deal. The first NO was to a new man in my life. At first, I was stoked to have met “Darrell” online. Not only was he attractive and local, we had a high compatibility score. Unlike the men I’ve…

In October 2014, Kent abruptly broke off our one-year relationship. That ending broke a part of me, and was one of the push factors that nudged me back towards California. In July 2016 I moved back to L.A., but two months before that, Kent and I had lunch. It was…

The poor man sounded exasperated. There were a bunch of letters after his name, and he was deeply involved in local COVID vaccine efforts. “We just don’t understand it,” he said. …

Most people don’t know I was (am?) a classically trained pianist. The fact that most people don’t know this tells you something. Fascinated by my church’s organist, Mrs. Huss, and the strange marks on paper she translated into intricate music, I started piano lessons at age 5. By second grade…

My Sweetie and I broke up Thursday night. Like so many moments and aspects of our relationship, the breakup was another first. It was the sweetest, most mutual ending I’ve been through. I had the courage and integrity to set a new, important boundary. He had the courage and integrity…

On January 2, 2009, I met one of the loves of my life. I’d spent the previous several days on retreat with dear colleagues at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, enjoying a snowy, bonfirey time of dancing, laughing, catching up, and composting 2008. …

Edgar was one of my firsts. Decades ago, he became my first boss, first mentor, and first significant male ally. And now, almost exactly 29 years after we met, he just became another first. Edgar was my first boss, but not my first supervisor. Before him, I had a dozen…

I remember the exact moment I fell in love with my boyfriend, Josh. It was December 2019, and we were on our fifth date in the four months we’d known each other. …