He closes his eyes tightly as I push him in the fisher price swing. His face relaxes and his blond curls blow gently in the wind as he swings back and forth. “Faster, Mommy,” he says and I gladly comply. He breaks out in a fit of giggles as the swing cuts through the cool April air in this wonderful evening.

I don’t take pictures of him because I don’t want to get distracted from the wonder of it...

The air is crisp and clean and one can see the forests for miles around, a few rooftops peeking out between the trees. The only sounds to be heard are the birds, the rustle of the leaves in the breeze, and my own labored breath. It was worth the climb up the mountain to see and feel all this beauty....

As I typically utilize the crockpot together with its ceramic pot, I was clueless as to the heat contained in its rim. Over the holidays, I attempted to make mushroom onion sauce in the crockpot in a small disposable metal pan. As I leaned over to retrieve it, my arm brushed against the rim, causing a moment of extreme pain and a burn that still resembles a small portion of that outer rim. A remin...