This was her first trip out of the country. Emma got a job as a counselor in a posh New England girls camp, and although the pay is low even by her third world country’s standards, she was guaranteed an …

self-portrait taken on August 12, 2005

Little Paintings by Aya Takano

When I was in first grade, I told everyone that a girl in my class was actually my sister. No one believed me, so to prove it, I rode home on her school bus. The poor driver saw me at …

Contentment makes me lazy. I am ashamed to admit that my productivity is fueled by discontent. These days I am filled with the love I have for my child. I can be quite content watching her play, holding her at …

I am back to my pre-pregnancy 95 pounds, with the bonus boobs that motherhood brings, and tighter upper arms from carrying 15 pounds of baby all the time. I am *hotter* now that I ever was… too bad I don’t …