It’s Monday evening. Dinner’s been eaten and dishes have been washed. Everyone has scattered in different directions and I’m watching 50 First Dates for the fourth or fifth time in the last three days. Yesterday I began this post with lyrics from the last song of the movie. “Someday I’ll wish upon a star, Wake up where the clouds are … Read More
Cheeseburger, Rose, Sweater, Tractor
It’s the beginning of a new month, Journeyer. Which means that in addition to bill money in my bank account, I also have raging hormones to look forward to every day for a week. I’m talking the pimply-faced, swollen-body-limbs-aching-boobs-pants-don’t-fit, irritability-initiating, completely exhausting kind of physiological changes. In between Wednesday’s shifts I napped from a little after nine until twelve-forty. I … Read More
The Secret Ingredient
This Memorial Day weekend finds my family on the road, again. Big Guy’s soccer team is participating in a two-to-three-day tournament in Erie. By a brilliant stroke of luck, one member’s family owns a home near the competition complex and invited everyone for a team get-together. As you know, I’m sort of known for my homemade cookies, at least … Read More
Mountains of Love
“Love, even when you don’t feel like it.” ~Annah Elizabeth That was the first thought that came to mind as I stared at the stone upon which we’d been asked to write words of wisdom for the bride and groom. I was honored to be included in this quaint ceremony of close friends and family. Warren and Beauty and … Read More
What Kind of Mother?
Two a.m. Twenty-four years ago. One of the most equally exciting and excruciating times of my life began: Child labor. Some thirteen hours later, time that included sleep in spits and spurts, the timing and logging of contraction intensity and duration, a full breakfast, and a walk in the overcast, cold and drizzling day, my firstborn arrived into this … Read More
Don’t Shoehorn Me In
It happened at a friend’s house. Thankfully… My host helped facilitate my Syracuse discussion, 5 Steps to Heal Grief. As hard as I try to tell people that my focus is on healing, or healing grief, or, as I say “learning to live our best lives, even in the face of adversity,” people always say, “She’s giving a workshop … Read More
In Someone Else’s Shoes
This week’s highlight isn’t something I could photograph. It’s not tangible or concrete. One of the things that brought me a great deal of happy this week was an epiphany, an awakening of sorts. How many times have you heard, or even said to another person, “Put yourself in someone else’s shoes?” And how many times have you really been … Read More
A Way of Life
On one of the recent San Diego jaunts with my boys, I spotted this sign strategically posted outside an apartment door: “Happiness is not a destination; it’s a way of life.” I know I’ve heard this quote before but I think this is the first intentional display of the sentiment I’ve seen. This Happy Happens column is at the very … Read More
My Three Sons
This past week is a bit of a blur, Journeyer, and I can’t believe it’s Sunday! Then, again, I’m so freaking HAPPY that it’s Sunday!! Why? Because I’ve been counting down the last fourteen days until I could spend an entire week with my two boys. Big Guy’s task had been to find one college he wanted to visit over … Read More
50 First Smiles
Wow…it’s Sunday…already… Wherever did this week go? Oh, yes, I know… It evaporated in a daily series of phone calls and my ongoing research to meet new people and make new connections in this vast cyber sphere… One of the disadvantages of living in a small town is that of limited easy access to global information… In this instance, I … Read More