by jo | Dec 22, 2015 | Memoir & Essays
One of my family’s favorite stories to tell at Christmas time is about my 3-year-old self’s guide to gift giving: No Gift? No Worries! 3-year-old Jo’s guide to gift giving Who do you need to give the gift to? (Specifically, you need to know their...
by jo | Nov 17, 2015 | Memoir & Essays
He was the first one to buy my work. Two years ago, I started to make art pieces. It happen kind of overnight. I got the idea for one piece — an Audrey Hepburn portrait on book pages — made it, and then I just kept creating. Two weeks later I’d...
by jo | Nov 10, 2015 | Everyday Stories, Jesus Time, Memoir & Essays
When I was born, I was in a hurry. As my mom’s third child, she’d gone through the ordeal before. She’s one of those women that actually loved being pregnant. She felt beautiful and vibrant. She worked out and was healthy. It was a good deal for her. But only 30...
by jo | Nov 3, 2015 | Everyday Stories, Memoir & Essays
There are cute signs at Target, World Market, even Ikea that say things like “What I like best about my home is who I share it with,” or “Home is wherever I’m with you.” But I live alone. It’s recent this time. I’ve had roommates for the past year and a half or so...
by jo | Oct 27, 2015 | Everyday Stories, Memoir & Essays
People playing the race card is like me playing the grief card. For a full year after my sister died, I played what I would term the “grief card.” Like the “get you out of jail free” card in Monopoly, the grief card will also get you out of things for free. And some...
by jo | Oct 7, 2015 | Memoir & Essays
The dress is white, sleeveless, summery. The fabric is decorated with large, orangish flowers — daisies maybe — flowers painted in a way to give the dress more a sense of womanhood than girlhood. It falls just below my knees, or at least it did the last time I wore...