A Giveaway, A New Essay + Why There’s a Raccoon and an Engineer in Every Family…

May 29, 2026
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I’ve told some sweet stories about my husband on here lately, which has been so fun. And I think you guys have liked them. But, lest you think it’s all sunshine and roses… I thought I’d let you in on something that happened last night that I just bet you might be able to relate to.

So, Will was cooking dinner — I know! Perfect husband points everywhere! And I was going upstairs to do some laundry. (Perfect wife points?!) And he said, casually, “I can’t unload the dishwasher.”

And I said, “Okay. I’ll do it in a minute.”
But then… Well, I just had to know why.
And he said, again, casually, “I can’t unload it when I haven’t loaded it.”

If you have been married for eighteen years like I have, you already know where this is going. And, yes, I load the dishwasher like a rabid raccoon. I know this about myself. I am always in a hurry to get back to work or on to the next fun thing or something that is non-dish related.

My husband, on the other hand, loads the dishwasher as if he is up for a Nobel Prize in Dishwashing. As though the next Macarthur Genius Grant will be awarded to him for unlocking another law of geometry and revolutionizing the dishwasher-loading process.

In peak-adult mode, I decided to let this all go and unloaded the dishwasher. This morning, I was re-loading the dishwasher.
And, yes, obviously, I seriously considered just leaving all the dishes in the sink all day and then, while reading a magazine or something, saying something cool and passive aggressive like, “I left those because I didn’t want you to have to unload a dishwasher you didn’t load.”
But I didn’t do that, partly because I didn’t want to look at dirty dishes in the sink and partly because I. AM. SO. MATURE.

But, as I loaded, I realized that, yes, Will does, indeed load the dishwasher like it is his entrance exam to NASA. But I load the dishwasher like an artist. And, let me ask you this: Who couldn’t use a little more art?

So I have to know: When it comes to the dishwasher, are you the engineer or the raccoon? And if you live with someone else, are they the opposite or the same?

Hundreds and hundreds of you chimed in on this on Instagram and Facebook, and it was the craziest thing! In almost every household, there’s one raccoon, one engineer. I guess it must be true: Opposites attract!

Giveaway with Carry Media!

My pal Paula Faris — formerly of ABC News — creator of Carry Media, the place for working moms, is giving away FOUR copies of SUMMER STATE OF MIND over on her Substack, ! All you have to do to enter is comment on her latest newsletter. And, while you’re there, you’ll want to subscribe! I’ve been following along with this one since the very beginning, and I love getting Paula’s email in my inbox!

Where Summer Stays…

When I graduated from graduate school (That’s a mouthful! Ha!), the first place I ever sold a story was Our State Magazine! So it felt so full-circle to get to write this piece for them on the allure of beach houses and why they shape our summers! What I didn’t expect was this gorgeous spread of family pictures. The magazine is so stunning, so, if you get it in your area, I highly recommend. This is one of my auto-renews every year because it is so chock-full of great journalism and incredible photos. But, this piece is online now too! I’m so over-the-moon about it, and I hope you’ll check it out!

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Events Coming Soon

June 18, 2026 | Pine Knoll Shores, NC | 11:30 AM EST

Crystal Coast Country Club
152 Oakleaf Drive
Pine Knoll Shores, NC 28512
Book Signing
SEMI-PRIVATE EVENT (Open to Members and Their Guests)

June 24, 2026 | Beaufort, NC | 12:00 – 3:00 PM EST

Literary Luncheon with Mary Kay Andrews
Beaufort Historic Site
130 Turner Street
Beaufort, NC 28516
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July 16, 2026 | Atlantic Beach, NC

Single Girls Soirée: A Cosmopolitan Conversation
John Searles in conversation with Kristy Woodson Harvey
Coral Bay Club
1901 West Fort Macon Road
Atlantic Beach, NC 28512
Bookseller: The Country Bookshop
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