My grandma, Alice Brady, passed away yesterday. She was by far the strongest person I've ever known. She survived poverty, domestic violence, and a literal tornado. She raised five kids and cleaned houses and worked her fingers to the bone on the family farm. But though her hardships and her resilience in the face of them are a part of her story, they in no way define it. My grandma was hysterically funny, often in a morbid way. She used to put odd names she found in the obit

I'm officially a Brooklyn writer now. My first Friday here, I stumbled upon some astoundingly talented kids performing a dance at the local Rec center in honor of Cinco de Mayo. Check out those colors! That twirling! I nearly broke out into hives as I stood dumbfounded before a room of boxes. I began to set up my daughter's first room! The poor kid has been stuck sharing one with me and my husband up until now. (And yes, those are bats. She has excellent taste in favorite ani