Jul 17
Don’t let this adorable, seemingly innocent smile fool you… she’s a negotiator. Consider our recent conversation. ABBY: You have any stuffed animals dat were mommy’s when she was a widdle girl? ME: I don’t think so. I think I gave them all to her already. ABBY: Can you just check? ME: Sure, I can do …
Jul 03
Twenty-nine years ago if I had heeded this quote from the creator of Peanuts, I could have saved myself many sleepless nights. I was pretty consumed back then with trying to figure out how a healthy-eating-and-exercising-mom in her thirties could get cancer. Especially colon cancer for crying out loud! Colonoscopies aren’t even recommended for the …
Mar 20
I’ve been thinking a lot about odds–good odds, bad odds, no odds–because as soon as I finish writing this blog I’m filling out my bracket for the NCAA basketball championship as I attempt to predict all 67 game winners. The odds I will do that correctly are rather slim: 1 in 9.2 quintillion, according to …
Feb 27
“It’s quiet. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is asleep. The day is coming. “In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. …
Nov 14
Put waist-length hair in a ponytail or up into a shower cap Tie your sneakers Signal touchdown Put the little backs on your pierced earrings Peel potatoes…or cucumbers…or carrots..or anything else Change a wiggling toddler’s diaper Hold your playing cards while playing one of them Give a bear hug Clap Type very long blogs It’s …
Oct 17
Once upon a time there was a newspaper reporter who simply loved reporting news. She didn’t want to make up stories or even write non-fiction books. She just wanted to stick to the facts and report the news–hopefully someday for the New York Times. But God had other plans. When she was 36, the doctors told her …
Oct 03
In recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I’d like to introduce you to my dear friend Polly, a cancer-free, five-time survivor–including three breast cancers, one of which was stage 4! Polly’s personal cancer journey began more than 15 years ago, although her family’s trek with this dreaded disease stretches back decades. Her mother, several …
Sep 05
Imagine someone takes you to a party. You see a few friends there, enjoy a couple of good conversations, a little laughter, and some decent appetizers. The party’s all right, but you keep hoping it will get better. Give it another hour, and maybe it will. Suddenly, your friend says, “I need to take you …
Aug 08
Everything happens for a reason. Has anyone said that to you since your or your loved one’s diagnosis? I’m wondering how it made you feel? I have to be honest and say that phrase usually annoys me. So if it’s your favorite phrase in life and you love to say it or have people …
Jun 20
It was the end of September 1960 and my family had recently moved from Mansfield, Ohio, to Riverside, California. I had loved first-grade in Ohio, but apparently was “bored’ in second grade in the Golden State. My mother said I usually came home after school, didn’t want to talk about anything and then threw …
