Minus 25 wind chills and our dog, Booker, wanted to go for his usual morning walk. I began the layering process to accomplish this feat: Bra, panties, silk long johns, thick socks, yoga pants, long sleeve T-shirt, wool sweater, down vest, down coat, snow pants, winter boots, neck gator, fat gloves, wool headband. What had I forgotten? Oh yeah, the… Read More

I admit to being woo woo inclined. I believe Mercury in retrograde equates to unplanned surprises, and often not the good kind. Those in the know say this planetary mash-up will last until mid-February. Be warned, and deal with it proactively instead of reactively if possible. My husband does the biggest and bestest eye rolls when I mention this stuff…. Read More

Or seven, or ten, or fifteen. I do not mean to come off as cranky, nor do I want to cast a judgmental light on those who attempt to offer tempting quick-read tidbits. I get it. Our society rewards “busy,” so we like to sneak in news and gossip updates while waiting for coffee, a red light, or the dentist…. Read More

Today was a good day. It’s hard to explain in words, but it simply felt peaceful. The mood was like that of a pianist playing a simple tune in an empty room lit only with gauzy light and dust motes. I like that alone kind of feeling sometimes. When my husband came home from work he had a bouquet of… Read More

Jane, skinny-dipping in the moody waters of an African river, fails to notice a crocodile the size of a subway train easing towards her. She frolics and splashes and keeps her girly parts covered by well-placed foam and foliage. Life is good. As she turns toward shore to catch a peaceful G-rated sunbath, she sees the black and beady eyes… Read More

I heard the crash before I opened my eyes. Chances were good that Giese, our younger cat, was on my husband’s dresser—again—and had knocked over any of the following: a picture frame his coin cup his vitamin stash Was it worth waking up to know what I probably already knew? Cleaning up after her clumsy, albeit funny, foibles have become… Read More

“What if,” I wondered, “I took my camera and followed our cats around for an hour just to see what they do? Would the resulting photos be amazing?” The idea fizzled when I realized how much time they spend: Sleeping Licking their nether regions Sit staring at me blankly whenever a camera gets within fifty feet of them Sleeping I scrapped… Read More

Tiny needles, inserted strategically on my body, made me look like a living voodoo doll. The mosquito-like pricks of pain quickly subsided, but I needed to be aware incase I accidently moved and dislodged one or two. I tried to relax into the moment, but it wasn’t happening. The acupuncturist, Diane, is excellent at what she does. My current issues… Read More

I saw this on a friend’s email and burst out laughing. Sigh.  

The following quote, by Anne Lamott, was the best part of my day. I have been guilty for far too long of allowing my imperfections to keep me from living life with joy and curiosity. How about you? Oh my God, what if you wake up some day, and you’re 65, or 75, and you never got your memoir or… Read More

I saw the following video the other day and sighed. How many of us have been in her shoes? I certainly have, and I don’t consider myself some delicious feminine sexual morsel wandering the streets for male attention. My mode of operandi, for this very reason, is to walk with my head and eyes down. I shrink so that I… Read More

I’ll keep this short and sweet. I saw this line by Brian G. Johnson and said a silent “Amen.” Here it is: “Getting old begins when dream chasing ends.”

Telemarketers. I try so hard to have compassion for them as I grit my teeth and resent their intrusion. “They’re just doing their job,” I remind myself. It takes dedication to achieve that nonstop talking cadence in an attempt to keep prospects from saying, “No thanks.” I listen, hoping the telemarketer will run out of breath. I remain silent, waiting… Read More

Cat kisses. Love ‘em or hate ‘em? Our cat, Giese, is the “kisser.” When Cupid, bored with human dalliances, strikes an arrow squarely in her heart, Miss Giese suddenly needs to lick, rub, and purr with an intensity that’s hard to ignore. Or escape. I would suggest the timing of such affection is completely random, but there seems to be… Read More

“Yes my life is better left to chance I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance The dance” My favorite Garth Brooks song is The Dance, and the lyrics above touch on the message. The notion of taking risks to live fully appeals to me even though I know it will most likely include… Read More

The email was sweet and simple. “Would you consider speaking to the incoming Masters of Liberal Studies class again?” The words took me by surprise because I had graduated from the MLS program in the spring of 2013 and, after speaking to the incoming class last fall semester, thought my usefulness to the program had been spent. I responded that… Read More

People watching. Whether it is done on the sly like I prefer to do, or tongue-lolling-flat-out -staring like my husband tends to do, people watching is one of the joys of going to the Minnesota State Fair. If ever there is a reminder that it “takes all kinds to make the world go round,” it is there. Individuals come in… Read More

I woke up feeling like I’d downed an entire bottle of bourbon. The room was spinning, my head hurt, and I’d thrown up everything interesting I’d eaten the night before. When I tried to walk from the bedroom to the bathroom I found I had a difficult time going in a straight line. It was an odd and scary feeling… Read More

@#$%^!!! That’s how I felt this morning, and knew I would have to work hard to move past the negative emotions. Why work to reframe my feelings? I prefer to be an optimistic person. I prefer to see the good in even not-so-good situations. And, each week I write about some little thing that brought me happiness and then share… Read More

Floating upwards through the sleep of the exhausted…midlife hot flashes are a preview of hell for the hormonal…I awake to the not-so-gentle kneading motions of our ten-pound cat on my bladder. Pudgy is hungry and she knows bladder badgering is more effective than meowing in my face. “Okay! Okay!” I say as she jumps to the floor expecting me to… Read More

Who’s NOLA, you say? Isn’t she that woman who sings Come Away With Me and plays the piano? Actually NOLA is a where, not a who…New Orleans, LA, to be specific. If you’ve never visited New Orleans, but have always wanted to go, I want to make you aware of an extraordinary person, Cassandra Snyder. If you’ve been to New… Read More

Mom loved puns and quotable sayings. My childhood home had items hanging all over the place that were smart, painfully-punny, and funny. One said: “The wise old owl sat in the oak the more he saw the less he spoke the less he spoke the more he heard why can’t we all be like that wise old bird?” Another: “There… Read More

For about twelve years now I’ve been trying to get my photography into the Fine Arts exhibit at the Minnesota State Fair. It has become my cross to bear, my mountain to climb, my adversary that won’t let me retreat. Prior to a couple years ago, you would register your pride and joy and then bring in the framed perfection… Read More

Moments ago I was out mowing our yard. The trimming-stuff I do with a push mower. As I’m walking around cutting off wayward grass tufts, it occurrs to me I could drag the mower over a weedy/bramble area taking hold in the corner of our dog Booker’s fenced area. While the idea may have been sound, I’m quickly having trouble… Read More

The morning arrived in a blur of activity, and kept the pace going as I stumbled through errands. Agenda one: Walk Booker. Since our husky, Booker, is in full shedding mode (“shed happens”), I select my clothes with the understanding I’ll be coated in, well, his coat. I can stay twenty feet away from him and still look like a… Read More