I have come to associate snowfall with magic.

My dear friend worked as cancer nurse, so I asked her what she has learned through such a unique process, and she shared some nuggets of wisdom straight from her heart of gold. I now share them with you.

December of 2015 was the lowest and darkest period of my life. My husband and I were trying to protect our children from a mentally ill and abusive family member, I had fled a terrorist attack in Paris, and I returned home to the news that I had breast cancer…

The holidays are here, and I'm already dreaming of puzzles on the dining table, carols around the fire and mulled wine.

I'm also thinking about what reading I might have time for during this busy season--in between performances, parades, and parties--I am over the moon that we can host our annual holiday open house again! In light of that, I thought I'd share a couple favorite reads of mine that are perfect for a winter's evening after the events of the day have calmed down.

I don’t know about other cancer survivors, but there is a dissociation that I experience after so much pink. I don’t even want to hear the protests about “pink-washing.” I just can’t think about cancer every damn day in one month. Probably because we simply aren’t sure yet about survivorship.

Food in my house growing up was the worst. I suffered through countless gag-able meals at the dinner table, but found creative methods of hiding the food that I was forced to “finish” before I could get up and go about my business. Once, I buried a cubed steak in the sandbox. Another time, I stuffed green beans in an old purse and stuck it under the couch.

One things that grounds me is gardening. I'm not the best at it--I often let the weeds get too thick, I am forced to enter the heat and drag a sprinkler out. I keep hoping that it will rain, that someone will take it upon themselves to weed, but it's just so much magical thinking. But there is something about caring for these living things that is akin to a moving meditation.

Ahhhh … Maine. The way life should be.

We have a history that ties us to this state for decades, but haven’t been able to visit in several years, taking trips around the world instead. But in the summer of 2020, I needed a reason to go on, and nothing perks me up like big travel. So, we started sketching out a three week road trip from our home in Tennessee to Cape Breton National Park in Nova Scotia.

I received chemotherapy and immunotherapy on the same day, so I was in the lab for over four hours. That is a long time, so I learned to go armed with all the things that kept me comfortable. These are a few of my indispensable things…

It’s been months since I had the freedom to spend time with this beautiful friend and fellow breast cancer survivor. Yesterday, we had the opportunity to sit down at Niedlov’s, our favorite local coffee shop and bakery to discuss her cancer journey and, for better or for worse, how it feels to be a survivor.

Do not confuse the above title with something like, “Top Five Foods You Should Eat on Chemo.” When I was on chemo, I ate like I was trying to fill an abyss. People brought food for our family of 6; I ate most of it…

Look, I started a business that provides products and gifts for cancer patients, and even I don’t always know what to do when I hear about a new diagnosis. If this is you, too, then take a deep breath and do some brainstorming, maybe with some other people who also want to help. Here’s my top 10 brainstormed recommendations for gift ideas: