Author Archives: Mary Rowen

About Mary Rowen

My three published novels, LEAVING THE BEACH (a 2016 IPPY Award winner), LIVING BY EAR, and IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY focus on women figuring out who they are and what they want from life. Music and musicians have a way of finding their way into the stories. I live in the Boston area with my family and pets.

A House, Some Lives, Some Things…and Trying to Make Sense of it All

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Mary Rowen

A month of so ago, I wrote a post about getting ready for a yard sale to help clean out my mom’s house. She’s selling the house in which my brothers and I grew up and moving to a condo. … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, life, live events, moving | Tagged aging, Army, blue Angels, cleaning, goodbyes, house, memories, moving, old pictures, photos, pictures, real estate, saying goodbye, Thunderbirds | 11 Comments

Catching a Breath

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Mary Rowen

The rain and thunderstorms this morning cooled things off, both literally and figuratively, and the breeze coming through the windows smells just a little like the ocean. If you follow this blog, you may be aware that my life has … Continue reading →

Posted in life, mindfulness, reflections | Tagged allergies, family, grateful, life, mindfulness, parenting, pets, reflecting, summer, travel | 7 Comments

Going Batty: A Rabies Story

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Mary Rowen

It’s 11:33 on Friday morning, and I’m waiting for the phone to ring. I’d be lying if I said the anxiety’s killing me, but also can’t deny that I really, really hope to hear some positive news. Here’s the story, … Continue reading →

Posted in animals, cats, dogs, health, life, life events, Uncategorized | Tagged bats, cats, communicable diseases, disease, dogs, pets, rabies, rabies prevention, summer, vaccinations, vaccines | 12 Comments

Packing for a Trip? Here’s One Good Reason for Travel Insurance

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Mary Rowen

If you’re anything like me, you’re not in the habit of buying travel insurance. When you plan a trip, there are so many expenses anyway. Depending on where you’re going and what you hope to do while away, you’ll most … Continue reading →

Posted in family, insurance, life, travel | Tagged air ambulance, bermuda, boston, injuries, insurance, med evac, MedFlight, shore excursions, travel, travel insurance, traveling safely | 8 Comments

Yard Sale Part 1: Selling Off the Memories

Posted on July 24, 2015 by Mary Rowen

Just a short post today, as I get ready to help my mom prepare for her giant yard sale tomorrow. Thankfully, Mom is in good health and is downsizing from the three-bedroom home where my brothers and I grew up … Continue reading →

Posted in life, life events, Uncategorized | Tagged aging, life, parents, yard sale | 14 Comments

Dog and Cat are (slowly becoming) Friends

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Mary Rowen

Last month, I posted about losing our sweet cat, Jack, to cancer, just weeks after we’d adopted a new kitty named Sherlock to be his pal. Suffice to say, it was a sad and confusing time for all members of … Continue reading →

Posted in animals, cats, dogs, life | Tagged animals, cats, cats and dogs getting along, dogs, family life, friends, life, pets | 8 Comments

Grateful for our New Faucet…and Water

Posted on July 10, 2015 by Mary Rowen

Trust me, I realize that the particulars of my kitchen sink are about as insignificant to most people as, well, the particulars of anyone’s kitchen sink. Hell, my kitchen sink doesn’t occupy much space in my mind either. When I … Continue reading →

Posted in #MondayBlogs, life | Tagged boat racing, crew, faucet, plumbing, racing, regatta, UN, water, water crisis, world water day | 8 Comments

Today I’m a Guest on February Grace’s Clockwork Conversations….

Posted on July 8, 2015 by Mary Rowen

Very honored–thanks February! It was so much fun chatting about life, books, college, music, and various other things. Read the post here: http://clockworkconversations.blogspot.com/2015/07/conversation-39-author-mary-rowen.html

Posted in books, guest post, writing | Tagged blog, clockwork conversations, college, eating disorders, february grace, guest post, mentoring, mistakes, music, Nirvana, respect, writing | Leave a comment

Summer Playlist for Sunny Days, Stormy Nights, and Roadtrips

Posted on July 3, 2015 by Mary Rowen

It’s July 3rd, and it finally feels like summer has hit New England. Maybe it’s just me—I’ve been hacking away at a dark, “wintery” novel—but I don’t think so. The weather simply hasn’t been typical of summer until now. Yes, … Continue reading →

Posted in music, summer | Tagged bettie serveert, boston, bright eyes, bruce springsteen, conor oberst, courtney barnett, currents, Depreston, edith, elephant, gillian welch, Greetings from Asbury park, Growing up, how did he look, july, laura laurent, let it happen, lifted, Lover I don't have to love, max's Kansas city, music, New England, NJ, palomine, playlist, psychedelic furs, robyn hitchcock, roxy music, sometimes I sit and think and sometimes I just sit, start making sense, stop making sense, summer, swamp, talking heads, tame impals, the doors, the man upstairs, the odds, the story is in the soil, to turn you on, tribe, vivs | 6 Comments

A Hemingway Quote for the Day

Posted on July 2, 2015 by Mary Rowen

Seems to grow more relevant with each passing day…

Posted in quotes, wisdom | Tagged hemingway, nick adams stories, quotes, three day blow | 1 Comment