Author: She-nan-igans

I lay in the dark holding my kindle, reading my newest book though it was well past my bedtime. I should have gone to sleep an hour ago, but the story drew me in and held me captive. When I was tuned in like that it was hard to put the story down, no matter […]

Taking more than 200 students across the country to Washington D.C. over the Fourth of July had to be a fool’s errand. Nevertheless, every three years that is exactly what the Springdale High School Band program did without regard for the sanity of the staff or the trip chaperones. It was a tradition held long […]

Sometimes in life we get to try something amazing and delicious. The experience of the food, its aroma, texture, and taste combine to create a lasting imprint on our palette memory. I can think of probably a dozen different things I have eaten that have made such an impact on me. I can’t help it, […]

The road was curvy in long stretches and lined on either side by tall trees. Shadows cast down on the 2-lane pavement provided temporary relief from the hot summer sun that beat down on the car, raising the temperature inside despite any air conditioning that might be flowing through the vents. Occasionally, the landscape would […]

I stood there by the bassinette looking at my baby. The pump of oxygen from the machines, the tubes, the tape and all the other medical things I could not identify combined together to create one very specific scent. I can recall it in my mind clearly even though I cannot tell you what things […]

The first month I worked at a domestic violence shelter opened my eyes to the world of victim advocacy. Oh, I knew about domestic violence. I had lived in it for a decade during my formative years. The experiences I had growing up certainly lent me the ability to have empathy for anyone going through […]

The excitement I felt looking at her was disproportionate to the true nature of what she was. When I looked, I saw freedom, escape, and adventure. When anyone else looked, they saw a less than fortunate beige Ford Tempo. I called her Betsy because Mom always called her car Betsy. I did not realize until […]

My car was the only one in sight, traveling down Highway 49 in east Arkansas on a Wednesday afternoon. The entire thing was a little bit crazy. “I’m actually crazy” I said aloud in the car to no one, “What am I doing?”  That morning I had set out from my home in central Arkansas […]

New insurance card in hand, I walked into my first prenatal doctor visit for my 6th pregnancy. I waited in the waiting room with all the other women and their companions. I wondered what my doctor was going to say. My last baby had been my 5th cesarean section. I had asked for the tubal […]

The stomach bug had blown through the entire family. In true mom fashion, I was the last one to get it. I came out of the bathroom after tossing my cookies again, feeling incredibly annoyed. Everyone else had experienced a different set of digestive problems but when I got it, all I could do was […]