Mighty Mother Nature

By Monica Comas / October 21, 2023 /

This is a post about grief. And apples. Autumn is a time of weighty remembrance. Last year, memories coupled with fresh heartbreak bulldozed me. I remained flat and listless for an unimaginably long time. The year prior, grief played entire symphonies for days and weeks. For months. Now, tender recollections pluck grief’s strings—the song is…

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Hello again…

By Monica Comas / September 25, 2023 /

Blowing the cobwebs off this blog after, well, quite a bit of time. Years. Like everyone else, so much has happened. We’ve all endured more than we ever thought possible–chances are, we’re still dealing with the aftermath of something. There was so much, right? But the wonder of this thing called life is what happens…

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Love, Loss and Hamilton

By Monica Comas / June 21, 2023 /

It starts with a story, as it always does. We all have them, the narratives that we carry within us. But sometimes the yarns of those stories fray, precious beads are lost and everything is irrevocably changed. Which might not seem like the most natural segue to Hamilton, but hear me out…that would be enough.…

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Farm Fresh

By Monica Comas / June 18, 2015 /

Maybe it’s because of the time of year, but I’ve been thinking a lot about when I was a kid and my mom would pack up the station wagon for a trip down to the farm. It was only a few hours away by car, but this place in southern Ohio where my grandmother grew…

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Ode to My CSA

By Monica Comas / October 31, 2014 /

It’s been one of those weeks in front of the computer. I’m revising a manuscript and there’s this one scene in this one chapter that isn’t cooperating. The words are just loitering there on the page. None of them are getting along. No one’s playing nice. Maybe you can relate? Please tell me you can…

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Meet My Compost

By Monica Comas / May 7, 2014 /

Today I want to talk about garbage. And I should warn you right off the bat, I’m stepping up on my green soapbox for this blog. Garbage is a timely topic, given the latest study showing that climate change is very much a reality. Greenhouse gasses (including methane—garbage’s perfume) are creating an extreme-climate mess for…

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Fun With Procrastination

By Monica Comas / March 5, 2014 /

I often joke that when the fiction writing isn’t happening, I take pictures of the pup. Good writing days…well, there’s nothing better. But, let’s face it, sometimes they’re not so good. Sometimes they’re putrid. Some days I struggle to string together a few words and tack on some questionable punctuation at the end. When those…

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Scenes from the Greenmarket

By Monica Comas / April 28, 2012 /

I thought I’d let the pictures do the talking again today. This morning’s adventure: The pup and I hit the Union Square Greenmarket. Despite the chill in the air, we weren’t the only ones in search of early spring produce. The flowers were vibrant, the pea shoots were verdant, and…wait for it…there were ramps! I…

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One Gal’s Garbage…

By Monica Comas / August 15, 2011 /

For the three people who read this blog, here’s something you might not know: I’m a super hero. This is not a joke. I’m known in certain well-recognized circles as Compost Girl. Yes, I live in Manhattan. In an apartment. Without, it should be noted, a lick of outdoor space. Nonetheless, I compost my vegetable…

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May the Force Be With You

By Monica Comas / November 30, 2009 /

What exactly does it take to make a Millennium Falcon cake? It being the thought foremost in everyone’s mind, I thought I’d share. It takes two boxes of chocolate cake mix, a vat of homemade chocolate buttercream and a good amount of vanilla frosting. I’m talking an alarming amount of vanilla frosting—like eight tubs of…

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