How a curious and wacko kid became an oddly-perceptive adult — I was a snoopy little fat kid who listened in on my parents through the heater vents. We all did — my brother, sister and me. We lived in an old farmhouse with a large grate at the top of the stairs. Lying on the floor with our heads on…

The Camino de Santiago melted my fat and built my muscles — Your body fat melts like butter. Your feet widen and flatten. Your skin browns, whether or not you use sunscreen. Your body will respond to the demands, and serve you well. It can break down, however. Be cautious. In Pamplona, I met an extremely athletic twenty-something who twisted his ankle…

We’re delighted to nominate your heartfelt stories of loss and grief, as they’re so important to all of us — Congrats to all the fantastic writers with Parasol Publications, and a huge congrats to writers of The Wind Phone, who will soon find their stories receiving the Boost. Christine Schoenwald, who is the most senior member of my editorial team, submitted her application to assist in nominating Boosts. And now…

Probably not your tail, but you can ‘release’ some burdens — A week ago, I realized I was in over my head. Too many stressful events — the type you can’t control — overwhelmed me. That’s why I’m thinking about geckos tonight. You know — those little lizards that live in the tropics? Like a stressed gecko, I’m dropping my tail…

Now comes the hard part, judging your beautiful essays — We are floored with the number of stories we’ve taken in for the May writing contest! We’ve got everything, all manner of animals and birds. Fish, birds, frogs, cats, dogs, horses. Have I missed anything? Wow, people. You do love your pets, don’t you? Thanks for sending the joyful stories…

How would we survive? — Back in the ’60s, riding to the little country store for candy was my first big solo adventure. The Macksburg Store, three miles away, was the destination. I was eight, a little brown-haired girl with a huge purple bike. It was a hand-me-down from neighbors. When I stood with my…

The hypnotherapist wanted to hire and train me, but there were a few red flags — The receptionist’s red top plunged low, and I saw a colorful tattoo of a ship between her breasts. Her black ponytail swung to the side as she cocked her head. A gold tooth glinted as she smiled. I put her at about forty. “I’m Candy,” she said. Of course she…

Cinderbell and my husband were horribly broken at the same time — Cinderbell let out a shriek, a noise I’d never heard from a dog. She stood in the field crying and shaking. What the hell? Had she been stung by a bee? I panicked and ran to pick her up. At just under a year old, she was about seventy-five pounds…

Drugs and theft go hand in hand — “The thieves came home with a bronze statue from a cemetery,” my neighor said, “It was a statue of a little girl, with butterflies around her head as she sat looking down. Someone’s child’s grave. They couldn’t sell the whole thing, so they cut it up in little pieces. …