moving forward

I picked a doozy of a word.  It's not even a practice I normally participate in.  But while looking for inspiration in a magazine last January, the word kept appearing.  So I reasoned, "forward" must be my word for 2020.  Yes!  Forward it is!  And then... Political upheaval and impeachment happened. My mom died in …

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hold on to your vacation heart…

While on vacation your body was busy but your mind was relaxed.  You ate good food, reunited with family, saw new places, recorded new memories. Then it stopped. And, oh, how well I know the feeling that followed... You squeeze yourself into a Lilliputian airline seat, spend the day alternately chilled or overheated on the plane, then run into that …

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encouragement to grow on

One advantage of having your parents live with you is tapping into their memories.  And your mother's photo album. These are my grandparents, Dan and Gladys, holding my mom.  So this must have been 1927-ish. It's fun to see my grandmother standing on the California beach where I grew up, sporting a bathing suit.  Might have been a …

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Found

A mom can find her kid. Even in a crowd. I could find Andrew on the football field by watching for arms and legs. I can spot Daniel by the sound of his laugh. And Ian’s voice draws my attention. Much like his dad’s, it's distinctive and pleasing.  And as with Andrew, if he's moving, I can find …

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after doubt has had it’s way… write

"Honey, I can't stop moving cause I might not get going again", my grandpa often said.  I thought he was talking about going for a walk, or wrangling horses, or making hot dog and parmesan cheese tacos.  Turns out his observation applies to much, much more... Like writing words on paper... which sounds kind of wimpy compared to what he used …

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Connections ~ That Pull Us Thru

A soldier returned to his home from two back-to-back combat tours in as many years.He returned to family who love him.But he could not relax.  He did not sleep well.  He scrubbed things that didn't need scrubbing.  He organized, arranged, re-arranged and made piles for the dump.  He pressure washed the entire exterior of his home.  He pulled out …

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Late Bloomer, Slow Learner

I am the square in "fair and square"… I get the joke 5 minutes after everyone has left the building… oblivious to Downton Abbey for two seasons, I am now hopelessly addicted. It also takes me awhile to work thru things, like… …mourning for family togetherness experienced last Christmas ~ ~ extended its unwelcome stay into February, …now that we are …

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31 Days of Aging Grace ~ Age Does Not Define You

Day One... I love to read biographies... learn where a person came from and the experiences that shaped them. The older I get the more intrigued I am with people who made achievements late in life... like Susan Boyle of "Britain's Got Talent" fame.  She blew away the competition at 47 years of age. And …

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Encouraging One Another

The trees we haven't planted yet... propped against the workshop... just can't wait to bloom. Promise. A new friend calls... "How'd it go" ...so we talk about that. And she tells me about her garden and the great find from the thrift shop and what they're having for dinner and I can't help but smile because I can …

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State Capitals… and Why I Need to Remember Stuff

I never liked to memorize anything.  Multiplication tables in 4th grade are my only claim to fame in that department.  And that was only because we got to move up the line and get out the door faster for lunch. I can be bribed with food. But I do admire people who effortlessly rattle off a famous …

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