Heather L. Hughes7 Facts About the Real J. Peterman and His Mail Order Clothing CatalogOn May 18, 1995, introduced a larger-than-life character into the pop culture consciousness. In “The Understudy,” Elaine (Julia…6 min read·Apr 2, 2021----
Heather L. HughesThe Story of CARIH, the Denver Hospital that Pioneered “Parentectomy”From 1940 until the early 1980s, hundreds of children who suffered from severe asthma were separated from their parents and lived at the…9 min read·Mar 19, 2021----
Heather L. HughesA Love Letter to Bag Balm & Self-Care Products with Agricultural RootsI spotted the small green tin while in line at Rite Aid. I don’t remember what I was waiting to buy—lipstick? paper towels? cereal?—but I…5 min read·Dec 21, 2020----
Heather L. Hughes10 Untranslatable Words That Perfectly Describe How You’re Feeling in 2020The intense emotions we’re all experiencing right now — the yearning to see family and friends in person and without our faces partially…3 min read·Nov 6, 2020----
Heather L. HughesWhy I Never Skip Making My BedA year ago, I gave away my bed. I needed less clutter, in my home and in my mind, which to me meant sleeping on a cot for three months…6 min read·Oct 6, 2020----
Heather L. HughesIt’s a Good Time to Be AgeistWhen I turned 50 last year, the number didn’t hit me so hard on my actual birthday as it did when I received my first AARP membership…4 min read·Jul 15, 2020----
Heather L. HughesHow Lipstick and an Experimental Treatment Helped My DepressionFour months after my slide into depression became a freefall, I bottomed out in a psychiatric facility.9 min read·Mar 9, 2020----
Heather L. HughesHow AA Helped Me Recover From a Mental Breakdown — Even Though I’m Not an AlcoholicMy name is Heather, and I am not an alcoholic.5 min read·Mar 1, 2020----
Heather L. HughesSelf-Care in the Psych Ward“Don’t worry,” the psych-ward tech told me after snapping a photo for my file. “We won’t post it on Facebook.”7 min read·Sep 27, 2019----
Heather L. HughesI Didn’t Fantasize About a Wedding — Until I Put on My Great-Grandmother’s DressThe mice had shown no mercy. They chewed right through the organic linen garment bag I’d bought to protect my great-grandmother’s wedding…4 min read·Aug 24, 2019----