Just Because
April Challenges (April Love 2021)
April, with its robust arrival of spring, is a good time to challenge myself. A few years ago, I took on a fitness challenge and added in an extra mile of walking each day in April. That lasted throughout the year, and it’s carried over to today—I still try to walk an extra mile when…
Read MoreTaylor Swift-ed
Taylor Swift’s music has appealed to me in the past, and I consider her album Red pivotal in bringing Rewrite the Stars to life (I listened to the album on repeat during the writing of my first draft). While I don’t listen to much of her current work, the twins and I attended a concert of…
Read MoreCat-astrophe
“When you’re ready to put Arnold on a diet,” the vet says, “call me. It can be a process, but it can work.” Arnold is the second of our cats to need some help in terms of dietary needs. The first, Ferdinand, ended up with diabetes, something we couldn’t control. I still remember the toil…
Read MoreFinding That Groove Again
My parents live a half mile from me. This short distance was by design: when we moved them here, we chose the best, close nursing facility so that I’d be able to see them often. And in the days before COVID-19, I visited them every day. Now, I can only see my mom a few…
Read MoreBacked Up
After I had kids, my digestive system changed. Meaning regularity couldn’t be counted upon, and no amount of fruits or vegetables helped. But I wasn’t ready for Metamucil, so I decided to take magnesium instead. It seems to work, and for now, I can’t complain. I’m no longer backed up when it comes to my…
Read MoreSunday Musings
A new website means a new way of doing things. Which isn’t what this habitual person likes to think about. New ways? I might only be in my forties, but honestly, I’ve been set in my standard protocols since I was born. Okay, there might have been that period of time right after the doctor…
Read MoreA Sound Full of Promise and Hope
A drive down the street proves the point: uncharacteristic darkness within businesses and schools and traffic is lighter even at rush hour. The state has shut down. People have been commanded to stay inside their houses, and if they walk outside, they need to keep six feet away from anyone who passes. The only place…
Read MoreThank You for Your Service
My sister works for the VA, so I’ve become accustomed to thanking members of the military for their service when I see them. Just a quick word or two at the grocery store or bank usually does the trick. My reward? A return “thank you” or a small smile. Telling these folks thank you is…
Read MoreWhat She Learned
I: That dark, glittery eyes often held the deepest secrets, only one of which was that he didn’t truly care. That brutalities of life scattered across every landscape, every dream, every nightmare she’d ever had, and paying attention to that voice inside grew more difficult to do every day. Battling demons—those mostly within herself—took far…
Read MoreSunscreen, Shinguards, and Cleats, Oh My!
Aaron is playing on the junior varsity high school soccer team this year. I can’t remember how many years he’s been playing soccer. Maybe ten? I think his soccer days date back to when he was four and first entered the little recreation leagues we have out here. Since then, he’s moved onto more competitive…
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