Late bloomer. Empty nester. Dog lover. Yoga teacher. Recovering worrywart muddling her way through midlife.
“Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Dr. Seuss For 14 years, my best friend was a spunky little bichon frise named Lacy, a fluffy force of nature whose vibrant presence far outweighed her body mass. She died this summer, leaving a sad, empty space in our home and in our hearts. Although […]
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“When God closes one door, He opens another.” It’s 5 a.m. I’m wide awake, though I don’t need to be. For the first time in almost 30 years, I don’t have a job. Last month, my employer announced it would be making reductions in the workforce, and I knew, in the mental intersection of intuition […]
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When I woke up Thursday morning, the first thing I did was listen. I heard the hum of my air conditioner. I didn’t hear howling wind or pounding rain. And I felt a rush of relief. After nearly a week of anxiety and an overdose of the Weather Channel, Hurricane Dorian passed by my home […]
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When I was a little girl, I thought my father was perfect. Most people did. If you asked Pete Manale to help you with something, you could be sure he’d do a bang-up job, whether it was hanging living room curtains with millimeter precision, fixing broken things or creating something decorative. Dad’s never been much […]
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A couple of weeks ago, Ret and I relived our 1970s youth at a KISS concert. What a blast – literally! I’ve been to my share of rock concerts over the years, but this was my first experience around pyrotechnics that melted my mascara. The show was an exhilarating, playful, nostalgic joyride from start to […]
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Let me introduce you to my geese. Well, these geese are not actually mine. But I’ve become mildly obsessed with them. My infatuation began years ago, when I lived in a new, sprawling subdivision with amenities that included several lagoons. One spring, a pair of geese decided to establish their home there. I’m no expert […]
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“How did it get so late so soon?” Dr. Seuss This post was originally titled What Happened to September? when I drafted the first sketchy lines on October 19. But now, well, it’s November, and What Happened to September and October? doesn’t have quite the same ring. I’m feeling disappointed with myself because in January […]
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It’s Labor Day weekend, and I haven’t been to the beach all summer. This is very sad, because I love the beach. The hypnotic music of waves rolling in, tang of salty spray on my face, warm sand caressing my feet – the sights, sounds and smells are like a healing balm. I live near […]
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This has been an extremely rough month for sensitive souls like me. At times, I’ve felt overwhelmed and helpless in the face of so much suffering: Terrified children separated from their immigrant parents at our southern border. The shocking suicides of Kate Spade and Anthony Bourdain. Tragic stories about victims of the opioid crisis. And […]
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Bessie is 47 years old, and sadly, she is way past her prime. Sometimes she’s too hot, and at other times, she barely warms up at all. She’s unpredictable, unreliable, and frankly, she doesn’t look so great anymore, either. As much as I hate to do it, I’m going to have to replace her. This […]
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Almost Gracefully 