What a decade. 10 years ago, I was 27. I was just barely awakening to who I was, acknowledging what I’d experienced and how it had shaped me, and identifying what I wanted from life. I left Albuquerque in 2012, in the hopes of moving abroad to Ireland. I spent an incredible five months there when…
Category Archives: This Is Living
Finding My Stride, Again
I’ve been back in Albuquerque for almost nine months now. Sometimes this realization makes me dizzy. It still feels so recent – packing up my life in Portland and preparing to drive 1,400 miles on my own in a U-Haul, with my dog as co-pilot. I turned 35 in November, and I feel like that…
Embrace Your Place
A kind, wise man once posted the following on Facebook – “Blessings are sometimes disguised in failures, or setbacks. However, God makes no mistakes. A good friend told me this week to ‘embrace your place’.” Even though this was months ago, I never forgot his words. I knew that eventually, when my creative energy started…
“I’m Still Here”
One of my favorite father figures in cinematic history is the late Richard Farnsworth portraying Matthew Cuthbert in Anne of Green Gables. His gentle, quiet presence is reminiscent of my own father; and I love how he immediately falls in love with Anne as she chatters away incessantly, allowing him to simply be himself in silent appreciation. While Matthew is a…
These Thoughts of Mine
I’ve said in the past that Hot Mess Molly is not a political blog. This is a place when I am free to be a basket case, where I can let my ‘Freak Flag’ fly, with no shame in who I am… This is my place to embrace my messiness. Having said that, if I’m…
Still Here, Still Hot, Still Messy!
2016. Pardon my profanity, but what an awful fucking year. Not just for me personally, but for so many people – on both micro and macro levels. Oy. I can’t even go there. I’ve been shamefully neglectful of my blog, partly due to the website being broken for six weeks, and partly because the past…
Rescuing Hippo – Saving Myself
This is a weird time of year for me – a sad, emotionally restless time of year. April 6th was the nine year anniversary of my father’s death, and I’ve noticed that each year – around the end of March – I start feeling ‘heavy.’ My thoughts are darker, my moods are lower, and everything…
Let’s Talk (Real) Love
In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d write about true love. No. I’m sorry, I can’t even type that without wanting to gag. I really don’t mean to sound cynical, but I f**king hate V-Day. Now, if there were a day honoring the single folks, my attitude might be a tad altered. Maybe. If there were a…
Learning to Fly
I’m going to take you on a different journey this week, by sharing the story of another. Another kindred soul, another fierce warrior, and yes – another Hot Mess. This is a story I find inspiring, humbling, and beautiful; and I feel privileged to have witnessed it unfold – if only from a distance –…
In Reflection
I can’t deny that 2015 was a rough year. To be honest, it has brought me to my knees in more ways than one. I’m exhausted, mentally and physically – there have been many times this year when I’ve asked myself, “Seriously – if this is as good as it gets, what is the f**king…
