An Introduction

I am a 40 something living near Atlanta, Georgia with my husband, my 3 year old daughter, our golden retriever, and two cats. I am a licensed attorney who has been acting as general counsel for a small environmental consulting firm I helped found way back in 2010. That firm has recently been acquired by a larger entity and we are all working through what that means for roles and responsibilities. It’s been a lot of fun - but mostly just stressful.

At night, after everyone is asleep, I pursue my own bit of joy in the form of an Etsy shop, Angels & Acorns. I make spiritual items such as Pagan Wheel of the Years, pendulums and pendulum boards, crystal holders, runes, boxes, etc. Flexing those creative muscles in the brain after law school and the corporate world truly has been so helpful for my mental health!

I identify as a liberal Pagan. I respect all other forms of religion but not necessarily the acts of the people who claim to follow those religions. My general motto is “don’t be a shitty person.” It sounds simple; unfortunately, it is also those simple things that are often the most difficult. Likewise with politics - note I said liberal vs identifying with any particular party. The US political system is doomed and there is no saving party at this point.

I traveled as much as I possibly could in my younger years and have almost made it to all 7 continents. I’m checking Australia/New Zealand off the list this year and so only the elusive Antarctica will remain. I say this not as a flex, but as background for my grounding. I have never met someone who has traveled - truly traveled - and not been magnificently changed by it. I don’t mean first class, fancy cars, and high end hotels - I mean backpack, stuck in with the locals, questionable accommodations at best kind of travel. Five star travel is more or less the same wherever you are in the world. But if you travel in such a way as to meet the locals, there you find an appreciation for the human condition - an empathy no amount of reading or television or social media can convey. I have lived a privileged life and I am so grateful for every penny I scrapped together to give myself those experiences. I can only hope my daughter gets a similar opportunity. Travel, politics, religion - it’s all intertwined.

My greatest goal in whatever remains of my time on this planet is to live as authentically as possible. I don’t say that to sound trite - I mean it quite literally. I have spent so much of my life doing or saying or being whatever was necessary to accomplish a goal. It took years for me to realize I was the most important relationship in my life and damn it all, I quite like myself when I’m truly being me. I want to share that more with the world instead of being a reflection of what I think the world wishes to see. If I buy expensive items, it’s for the quality, not the status symbol. If I garden or cook my own bread it’s because that’s a return to my roots that feels good - not something done primarily for social media. It’s all much harder than it should be, but I am working on it day by day. And I can promise that authenticity is what you will find here - for better or worse. I am not everyone’s cup of tea - in fact I tend to be quite a strong brew. For the right people however, I hope to be of some entertainment and perhaps even a friendly face.