The Girl Named Fred

Every now and again I wake up with a whole plot for a story in my head. Sometimes, it’s just bits and pieces which are probably remnants of my dream. Sometimes, like today, it’s a feeling that needs to be felt. It expresses itself through words. Those words today are borrowed from the Portuguese and German languages. The first being saudade. It is a beautiful word that means (more or less) a deep emotional longing for something that you never had, may never have, or isn’t possible anymore. The second word, sehnsucht, a strong (almost painful) yearning for something you’ve never fully experienced but deeply crave. Oh, that word…crave. It…

Today would have been my grandmother’s 93rd birthday. She has been gone 19 years now, and I miss her just as much, if not more, today. She was the best woman I have known. She was beloved by all. If I become half the woman she was I have lived my life right. I try to live my life to honor her because she is a major part of who I am. We were extremely close and her passing made me cherish that relationship even more. I was blessed to have been her granddaughter and to have known her love. Every year relatives reminisce about her. They tell stories of…

Why is it that starting around this time of year I always want to watch all my comfort movies? Fall, or as many say, autumn is my favorite time of year. It is for many people. Not only do the annoying bugs start to die or go back to the land of fire and brimstone where they belong, the weather cools. Cool weather brings about crisp mornings. Crisp mornings bring about steaming mugs of coffee, tea, and hot cocoa. Sweaters and jackets are pulled from the depths of closets and appetite inducing aromas fill the air. Fall has always filled me with a sense of romance, of hope, of renewed…

So the school year has started and with it comes the dreaded wake up alarm. I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m a fan of waking up naturally. I seem to always feel better if my body decides when it wakes up. So what does my body do? Wakes me up every hour to ensure I do not oversleep my alarm. Did I get up on time? Yes. Do I feel rested? As much as I normally do. Do I still hate it? Yes. This morning was the first day of many early mornings getting ready for school. Not only has my child began school, but I have started…

Well, here we are, my very first post on The Girl Named Fred. If you’re wondering, “why Fred”, let me explain. That is not my actual name, but when I was a baby I was bald and had the biggest blue eyes. I had an older brother and no hair (therefore no bows) so everyone just assumed I was a boy. They kept asking my mother what her sons’ names were. I would be in the biggest fluffiest dress and they’d still ask “what’s your son’s name?”. My mother got tired of explaining I was a girl (see the DRESS) and just blurted out “Fred” one day. It became my…