Carrie McKean

Yesterday the bottom fell out. In our single-industry town, the daily price of oil is something many people can recite off the top of their head.  And if you forget, it’s on a marquee downtown.  But yesterday the marquee read: “Will trade oil for toilet paper.”  Because what can you do but laugh? -$37 a … More The Day the Bottom Fell Out

Good morning… How are you today?  Are you sleeping any better?  Taking care of yourself?  Is this “new rhythm” starting to feel manageable yet? That’s something that has surprised me a bit, to be honest…  How quickly I can fall into new rhythms.  I’m sleeping and eating again… I’m going through a lot of flour … More Pandemic Thoughts: both/and

Once upon a time the people rejoiced.  And they thought they had it all figured out.  Life was pretty good.  They had a lot of hope for the future.  They had plans and agendas and thought they knew what was coming next.  They celebrated. And then seemingly overnight, everything crumbled.  What they thought they understood … More A Beautiful Terrible Easter

I have a few friends who are pregnant right now.  Some of them will likely be delivering babies right in the middle of this pandemic.  In some places, women are told it might be better to plan for a midwife and home births; in other places, husbands aren’t being allowed in delivery rooms.  I know … More Pandemic Thoughts: Letting Go

I woke up thinking about helium balloons today.  I could almost see my eldest daughter as a blonde, curly-haired, stubborn little toddler with still-baby wrists.  She’s walking down a cracked sidewalk in the hot summer sun, her favorite teal t-shirt riding up around her belly and her shorts a little too small.  She’s holding the … More Pandemic Thoughts: Holding On