Cameron
I grew up in Dallas, went to college and grad school in the Carolinas (Furman-->Wake Forest) with degrees in art history and ministry/theology. I work for organizations that allow me to do things I care deeply about: advocacy for immigration, public education and religious liberty. We moved to San Antonio in 2012 for my husband to pastor a church here. When we moved here, our two older daughters were babies/toddlers, and we eventually added a third. They are now 5, 8 and 9. We chose to live really close to the church and hit the neighborhood jackpot. I'm a bookworm and always have 2-3 books going at once. I have learned to love good music by osmosis (my husband has great taste!) (my current favs: Brandi Carlile, Lone Bellow), but I'm pretty happy with silence too, since it's hard to come by with small children. We don't have grandparents or immediate family in town, and I'm insanely jealous of those that do. But luckily our friends here have become like family.
Favorite Restaurant: El Mirasol
Favorite Landmark: Eisenhower Park
Favorite San Antonio Tradition: 4th of July neighborhood parade
Flexitarianism: Eating to Save the Planet
Listen, I really didn’t want one more thing to care about. I know that sounds hard-hearted. But this has been a season where everything that happens is of an incredibly urgent nature—the interconnectivity of...
The Hand-Me-Downs at the End of the Chain
Between my three daughters, who are all elementary age, but not consecutive sizes, I feel like we have wardrobes for every size of kid. Our closets are full of too-big or too-small boxes of...
A Citizen’s Approach to Choosing Schools
’Tis the season for shopping, and no I don’t mean Black Friday, or back-to-school clothes. It’s time to shop for schools.
First, I must admit, this entire phenomenon is a bit bizarre to me. When...
Pie Crust: A Recipe for Life
Sometimes I just need to bake a pie. It makes me feel good. And it tastes good! After the year we've had, you may need a simple win. Let me teach you to bake...
Elf on the Shelf is Optional
My children feel like the only ones in the world to whom Santa does not send an “Elf on the Shelf.” They are eternally bitter about it. And I relish it.
To any parents out...
What You Don’t Get — Counting COVID Losses in a Season of Thanksgiving
I had a moment yesterday. It was just another moment like the ones I’ve been having all year. Another realization of something that won’t happen because of COVID.
My kindergartner came home with a big...
Shedding Our Skinny-Jeans Politics
My favorite thing about fall is finally getting to wear jeans again. Jeans are my favorite item of clothing. It seems like every four to eight years, the fashion gods tell us that a...
Why I Quit PTA
After five years of serving on the PTA executive board at our elementary school, I quit. But not for the reasons you might think from watching movies that portray certain kinds of “PTA moms.”...
A River and a Harbor
Within days, my perspective on immigration was changed with a visit from a river to a harbor.
About this time last year, I flew to New York City with my mom and my four-year-old to babysit...
3 Things I’ve Learned from My Intergenerational Book Club
If I had to pick one thing that is saving my life right now, it would be my book club.
I realize book clubs are nothing new or revolutionary, but mine has one unique twist...
The End of Optimism
My spiritual director recently described the difference between optimism and hope, as it relates to the season of the coronavirus. Optimism is what we see on Instagram. “It’s all going to be okay!” “Bake...
The Only Thing That Gets Better in a Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has made it harder to enjoy some of the best things San Antonio has to offer. I can get take out from my favorite restaurant, El Mirasol, but I can’t enjoy...