I've read a lot of books this year that contain dragons. Maybe that's why the dragon hoard metaphor is so stuck in my brain. I've been thinking all day about how I want my first post to go. I felt much more confident at the beginning of setting up this profile, and now I'm just not so sure.
Writing has always been a big part of my life. As a child, I always had a notebook next to my bed for when I got the idea for a story. I started keeping a diary at nine. Throughout school, I'm convinced I was the only person who actually loved writing persuasive essays and book reports. I wrote my first full-length novel in ninth grade. It was shit, absolutely horrible, and when I found it as an adult, I put it through the shredder. But my love for writing has never diminished. During COVID, I started my writing career in earnest. I became a self-published author with my best friend during a global pandemic.
Shameless plug: Check out my books below
So, in a sense, I think my love of writing is why I'm here now. Because in reality, it's not just that I love writing, I love communicating, sharing stories and experiences, and sharing knowledge.
That being said, let me fully introduce myself.
Hello, I’m Dana — and these are my obnoxiously large tomato plants from this summer. For reference, I’m 5’1”, and this photo was taken in July. This is my not-so-subtle brag that they hit six and a half feet tall before they all toppled over.
I’ve already mentioned that I’m now moonlighting mostly as a writer, but before my new “trad-wife” era, I worked full-time as a cosmetologist. It wasn’t exactly my passion, but I was good at it, and it paid the bills. I met my husband when I was twenty, and we’ve been married for almost eight years now.
I’m a 29-year-old mom to an 11-year-old stepdaughter, an almost 7-year-old son, and a 2½-year-old feral little girl. When my stepdaughter was about to start first grade, the world shut down in a global pandemic. I was raised in a homeschool family myself, and after a lot of thought (and a few late-night debates), we decided to homeschool her that first year. I left my salon job for good and started staying home full-time with her and my son. It was a leap of faith for my husband and me at the time. Going from two incomes to one was a stretch, but it felt like what God was calling us to do, even if it was -- and still is a bit scary.
Now, five years later, we’re eyeball-deep in science projects, school books, canning supplies, and four laundry baskets’ worth of unfolded clothes. I still think it was the right choice for me and my family, even if I struggle some days with being home. I’m sitting at my dining room table as I write this, surrounded by three half-finished crochet projects, a half-eaten banana from snack time, and watercolor jack-o-lanterns drying from school today. The laundry is currently hidden -- because, you know, procrastination for the win.
So, if you're here to hang out for a while — I’m glad you’re here.
If you’re still not sure you want to stick around, that’s okay too. Maybe just check back now and then to see how many times I can kill my sourdough starter, or what new and mildly insane book I’ve decided to read. When I get around to it, I might even share a new hobby or recipe. Or maybe you’re just curious about what homeschooling looks like for a real family with real struggles, like today my oldest and I used protractors in math, and it ended up being Dad to the rescue because apparently 5th grade math is too hard for me sometimes, too (lol).
Whenever it makes sense, I’d love to open up space for real conversations, comments, dialogue, whatever — because I want to learn new things, hear different perspectives, and connect with people who might know or see the world a little differently than I do. Even as I show everyone what's in my filing cabinet, I'm hoping to add some new pages to it as well.