Of all the inventions in this century, there is one that has single handedly transformed motherhood. No, not the diaper genie or the high chair cover, great as those are. I argue that the greatest invention is a catalyst for maternal sleep around the world: the “Find your Friends” app. I am not a helicopter… Continue reading Following the Dot
Author: Melissa Norton Carro
A native southerner, Melissa Norton Carro has over twenty years of experience in marketing and communications, including her own business, Norton Carro Communications. She has edited textbooks and been a non-fiction ghostwriter, as well as a regular copyeditor for Gannett Publishing. She received her Bachelor of Arts, with Honors, from Vanderbilt University, where she currently works as an Assistant Dean. Carro was a closet fiction writer for years while raising three daughters, and Mt. Moriah’s Wake is her first novel. She writes a weekly blog, In the Middle, about life in the sandwich generation and is currently working on another novel. She lives in Nashville with her husband and blue heeler mutt.
Silver Tea Sets
Once upon a time. The way all great stories start. The year was 1952 and finally the bitter winter in Landsberg, Germany had surrendered to summer, although for the girl from Tennessee it was not like any summer she had ever experienced. If she were home, she’d be pulling frozen coca-colas out of the icebox… Continue reading Silver Tea Sets
Becoming a Foster
It was one of those weeks. I feel like my most significant accomplishment was reminding myself of the difference in accent aigu and accent grave. My high school French teacher would be proud. Guess I’m ready to head to Paris—oh, wait, I can’t go anywhere. I’ve been trying to find little projects to break the… Continue reading Becoming a Foster
Sweet Spots
All week long, I looked forward to Friday—not only because working at home is frustrating and isolating, but because I had earmarked that day for my annual voyage to buy plants. Shopping for annuals was a yearly rite of passage for Mom and me. Each year, she was steadfastly predictable in her purchases. She had… Continue reading Sweet Spots
Dollar Tree Resurrection
Each year during Holy Week, I think of a woman named Pam. Yes, I also think of crosses, deviled eggs, peace lilies, and chocolate bunnies. I look forward to magnificent sanctuary services and family dinners. But mostly, since 2004, I think of Pam. It was that year that she redefined Easter for me. Our daughters… Continue reading Dollar Tree Resurrection
The Elusive Forsythia
We are about to start our fourth week of staying home. I feel as if the first two weeks of this whole mess were spent in self-denial and then scurrying around looking for toilet paper and essentials. This past week, I settled in for the long haul and decided I needed a project, and that… Continue reading The Elusive Forsythia
In a Patch of Sunlight
The gorgeous Green Hills library, rebuilt in 2000, was a weekly destination for Mom and me. During this period of home isolation, I have had a lot (too much?) of time to ponder, and I’ve been thinking about my mom a great deal—on two fronts. First of all, my mother, a self-acclaimed germ-a-phobe, would be… Continue reading In a Patch of Sunlight
Road Trip
Last week my husband Gabe and I set out on a road trip—a long one. Over 13 hours—not for the faint of heart, but as he reminded me, we are young at heart. I was dubious about that many hours in the car, but Gabe reminded me of romantic road trips in our youth. Yes,… Continue reading Road Trip
“Who is Joni Mitchell?”
One of the things that COVID-19 has done to us is redefine “old” and "at risk." One daughter was recently lamenting the fact that my and my husband’s immune systems are frail. Another daughter suggested we invest in compression socks for our upcoming travels. Although appreciating the concern, I reminded them that we are not… Continue reading “Who is Joni Mitchell?”
Twelve Days
Our extended family has just completed “birthday season.” During 12 days that bridge February and March, we have six family birthdays. During a three day span, in fact, we have four! In any family, that might be noteworthy, but birthdays in our extended family are a big deal. Truthfully, everything in our extended family is… Continue reading Twelve Days
IN THE MIDDLE 