Category Archives: Friends and Family

My Rock, My Garrison

Our son presented my husband and me with a gift today. He meant to give it to us on Christmas morning, but with all the excitement, he forgot. The gift is a family of stones and each came with an explanation. The first stone, resembling a piece of jade, is my husband’s and represents what...

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Flocked Christmas Tree: A Collapse of Moral Values?

Confession: I bought a flocked Christmas tree. If you remember, my family and friends came up empty handed about two weeks ago when we went on our annual Christmas tree cutting excursion. Since then, my husband and I couldn’t seem to get our acts together long enough to coordinate our schedules to go buy a...

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Anne Shirley, Kindred Spirits and Pen Wielding Revolutionaries

“Miss Barry was a kindred spirit after all,” Anne confided to Marilla, “You wouldn’t think so to look at her, but she is…Kindred spirits are not so scarce as I used to think. It’s splendid to find out there are so many of them in the world.” – L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables) Anne...

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Christmas Tree or No Christmas Tree, We had a Blast!

Like we do every year, we made Christmas tree cutting plans with friends and family. Everyone packed food, water, shovels, handsaws and other necessities for this sometimes daunting task (My husband thinks choosing a tree is worse than a trip to the pumpkin patch. Why do you think he feels this way?) and we caravanned...

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Winner of the Not-Quite-40 Birthday Gift Revealed

The Not-Quite-40 Birthday Giveaway is officially over. The winner is… Karen! And the runner up is…Lois! I will contact you both soon to make arrangements for delivery. I hope you love the gifts! Thank you all for taking time to write about your favorite birthday year. I do appreciate it. And I love reading your...

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A Gift Giveaway from the Not-Quite-40 Birthday Girl

This week I turn 39 and I can already see the dreaded 40 creeping over the horizon. I am beginning to wonder if sitting on the cusp of this stigma-filled age is worse than actually being The Big 40. For the next year, that number will loom like a black cloud waiting to rain on...

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The Cap is Out of the Bag

The ugliest sock found a home with my father-in-law Joe. Because he is so active, I don’t think “amputee” when I think of him. I see a fisherman, medal winning downhill skier and kick-butt basketball opponent for my teenage son. Consequently, I didn’t think of him when I wrote about my need to find a...

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And the Award for Ugliest Sock Goes To…

You guessed it — me.  I have been knitting for a long while, but until about two years ago, I had never attempted knitting socks.  Then one day I found the inspiration to try.  I worked and worked at it, but the short rows at the heel stumped me and I failed. Frustrated, I hid...

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Mom’s Maid Service

Now, as always, the most automated appliance in a household is the mother.  ~Beverly Jones If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands?  ~Milton Berle The phrase “working mother” is redundant.  ~Jane Sellman Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit each other.  Perhaps they should live next door and just...

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Milkshakes, Trees, and Happy Feet

Every now and again I get the opportunity to travel with my husband for his work.  This past week, work took us to Chico.  After his appointments, we splurged on vegetarian burgers, fries, and a shared chocolate shake from Burger Hut.  With enough carbs on board to kill a hippo, we felt the need to...

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