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Thin Skin
I recently told someone that the last 15 months have been an inferno and I’m all pink and thinned-skinned. Writing is vulnerability. It takes strength to put words into the world and be impervious to rejection, or worse, indifference.
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Six Months
[March 26th I lost my brother Tom. My sister-in-law lost her husband. My nieces lost their father. My mother lost one of her three sons. I hate euphemisms for death, but I can’t find a better way to say it. In his death, we lost his laugh, his smile, his rapid-fire barbs and sharp wit.…
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Who Was Your Favorite: Love For Teachers
Recently in a meeting at work we had to introduce ourselves and participate in an icebreaker. Normally these kinds of activities trigger an involuntary eyeroll. But this one was a little different. We each shared who our favorite teacher was and why. There were people who spoke about their favorite teacher helping them learn how…
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Just Do What You Love
Go. Do. See. Breath. Play. Live. Don’t forget that there is no prize for saving all of your time off, for accruing a bulging savings account, for mowing the lawn exactly once a week and always having the edges neat. We left town this past weekend to celebrate our anniversary. We try to travel rather…
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Get Out Of Your Way: Be A Better Friend
Did you enjoy the holiday? Or did you get bogged down by the pressure to be happy, to serve delicious meals on sparkling table settings? Did you feel sad and disconnected even though you were surrounded by people? Or were you alone and wished you had a tribe to spend your time with? The reason…
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Chicken Shit
Last week my husband and I scared the, uh, well, shit, out of our neighbor with a five and a half foot tall rooster. Giving obnoxious gifts to friends has been a goal for us for a while. We’ve just never had the personal funds to execute the dream. Back in our Arizona days, I…
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There’s A Big World Out There, Please Don’t Leave It Early
When I was 20 years old a friend of mine killed his best friend, seriously injured his ex-girlfriend and then shot and killed himself. This was not a casual acquaintance. This was a man who took me to my very first prom when I was in 10th grade when going to prom as a 10th…
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It’s a Wonderful (& Imperfect) Life
Family is the thing that gets your blood pumping, in anger or in splendid, blissful love. I’m sure everyone can tell stories on both ends of the spectrum. Perhaps it’s my Irish-Scottish heritage, but there have been plenty of days when I wanted to trade in my family. And there was even a period of…
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When There’s Conflict At The Barn: My Survival Guide
Conflict At The Barn I can hear the collective gasp, “Oh no. She’s going there?” Yes. We’re going there. And you’re coming with me. So go get your popcorn, because I’m feeling feisty. And my post is accompanied by a pictorial guide of animal puns, how could you resist? Anytime you put two or more…
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I Failed! And Lived To Tell About It.
You know that Garth Brooks song “Unanswered Prayers?” If you haven’t heard of it, I’m going to assume you’re not a country music fan. Which is fine. Except that Garth Brooks is an amazing musical talent everyone should recognize regardless of their preferred genre, but I digress. The essence of the song is that something…