Family
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Thanksgiving Humor 😊
Of all the things I wrote on WordPress in 2023, a post about mashed potatoes still gets a lot of attention. I suspect it has little to do with the holiday itself – or the spuds in question. I think the readership has more to do with the message. Even in the pressure cooker of Continue reading
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Hello New Friends
We were delighted and relieved to see this adorable twosome last week. When we moved here, our neighbors told us the tiny glen in our backyard’s been a safe haven for generations of deer but every spring I find myself lurking and looking – anxiously awaiting the arrival of nature’s newest. I know the deer Continue reading
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Little Moments…Big Smiles
Husband Paul and I have been together a long time…into our fourth decade. He likes to keep a low profile and although I mention him from time to time here in blogging-land, he’s not one for limelight or recognition. He’s a man of quiet talents. My Mr. Fix-it who detours into his thoughts – solving Continue reading
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“Meadowlark Songs” by Joy Neal Kidney
I can’t think of a more heartwarming book to recommend than Joy Neal Kidney’s latest masterpiece, “Meadowlark Songs” (Available from Amazon.com in paperback, hardback, and ebook.) If you’re like me – grateful to find books that instill and bolster your faith – “Meadowlark Songs” is for you. I promise. Reading about Joy’s family and their roots in Continue reading
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Maxine’s Desk
My mother-in-law, Maxine, was the most gracious woman I’ve ever met. No contest. I suspect Mother’s Day planted her in my heart and she’s been hanging out with me this past week, bringing sweet memories forward everywhere I look. I’ve written about her up-bringing – the beautiful home she was raised in and the notoriety Continue reading
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Call Me Felix
When my friend, Michael Ross of The Real Reality Show Blog lobbed questions back to me after I nominated him for the “Sunshine Blogger Award”, I really needed to use my noodle. Not only did Michael put a smile on my face with answers to MY questions, but he turned the tables – straight away Continue reading
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Stairs, Smiles and Gratitude
We love our house and I’m grateful for it. Over many years we’ve tended to renovations of all sorts – some of which I’ve shared here. As we’ve approached the finish line with projects (she said hopefully) we’ve finally meandered toward the front door. Literally – to the entry way and stairs. The same tired Continue reading
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A Story Told in Four Vignettes
Life with my mom, Sue, was complicated from the get-go. Especially when I began to ask questions as a toddler about my disabled sister, Lisa and her differences. I was a child trying to understand but I was shut down, left and right. I wrote about the first altercation with Sue, related to Lisa in Continue reading
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When You Crack Yourself Up: Hello, Herbie?
Someone told me once that we really write for ourselves. Maybe so. But what I know for sure? I’ll admit that I enjoy my periodic posts titled, “When You Crack Yourself Up“. Depending upon my mood, degree of sleep deprivation or frustration with the world, it’s anyone’s guess what might strike my fancy and send Continue reading
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Finding Joy…In Friendship
Have you heard about Dave Williams’ inspirational project? I should say his latest inspirational project, “Joy Is…”? Dave is a multi-hyphenate writer, author, artist, designer and content creator extraordinaire. The best descriptor I’ve come up with – to describe Dave’s artistry across genres and mediums – is this: Dave’s work enchants. The “Joy Is…” project Continue reading
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When You Crack Yourself Up: Is it a Guy Thing?
I don’t mean to focus exclusively on the guys with this question…but it’s still a question. My sample size is very small. Just the hubster Paul, to be exact. I’m lucky enough to be hitched to a human who can fix just about anything. I think it’s his engineering and innovating heart. No cape required. Continue reading
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Lisa’s Patch Jacket
This is my first post back in the WordPress saddle for 2025 and I want to share how grateful I am for the opportunity to step away, work on some other projects and spend loads of time with family and friends. I know I missed many of your posts and for that, I’m sorry. I Continue reading
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Santa Sue
(I shared a portion of this post a couple of years ago and couldn’t resist a ‘take two’ moment today…a smile about my complicated mother and her love of Christmas.) My mom, Sue, was a party girl at heart and Christmas was her favorite holiday. Even when money was tight, she’d find ways to rally people Continue reading
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Her Cookie Jar Was Never Empty
A dear friend lost her mom last week and I’m heartbroken for her, as you might imagine. After a long illness, her mother’s passing wasn’t entirely unexpected, but I’ve learned. It doesn’t matter. Loss is loss. As I read her mother’s obituary, I smiled. An endearing goodbye invites friends and family to grieve while commemorating Continue reading
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When You Crack Yourself Up: Hubba Hubba Style
My sweet sister Lisa, despite her many disabilities is a walking, talking encyclopedia-like source of pop culture trivia. Especially if the vibe and music…and beefcake…appeal to her. (Sorry for the sexism…but come along anyhow. For Lisa’s sake. I promise there’s a smile coming thanks to a recent phone call.) In the mid-eighties, Lisa and our Continue reading
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Loving Lisa: “I’m Like the Others”
“We meet ourselves time and again in a thousand disguises on the path of life.” – Carl Jung Learning from others helps me see past the inadvertent disguises I wear. Most often, a comforting mask of certainty. Knowingness. Surprises come when I can recognize a growth opportunity. An opening to embrace what I might overlook. Continue reading
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Bunnies, Books & Forgiveness
The other day while sitting on the deck I had a visitor. A sweet baby bunny intent on munching on a leafy hunk of geranium, juicy and wet, freshly fallen from the large stone planter thanks to an overnight thunderstorm. She glanced at me, just a few feet away and must’ve concluded I looked harmless, Continue reading
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Woodstock Rocks!
No…not the music festival…the Library! Thank you to the wonderful people who joined me this week at the Woodstock Public Library for the “Navigating Elder Care with Grace & Humor” event. Connecting with new friends about what matters most…swapping tips and secrets about how to live our best lives while often caring for others…makes me Continue reading
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Where You’ve Always Been
June is a tricky month for me, full of celebrations and remembrances of people loved and lost. Birthdays, for sure, but also anniversaries of loved ones’ passings. Memories swirling together. As this month winds down, my head and heart are simultaneously full, so I reach for any scrap of paper to play poet. A post-it, Continue reading
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Surround Me Now
Today marks the 27th anniversary of my dad, Sonny’s passing. Living with loss is one of the life’s greatest achievements, I think. Not a day goes by without thinking about my dad – for one reason or another. Every year he consumes my thoughts when June 10 rolls around. Sometimes fleeting glimpses of silly moments Continue reading
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Podcast Friday! Remembering Matters
“The world is shaped by two things – stories told and the memories they leave behind.” -Vera Nazarian My dad, Sonny, was a joyful man. At times. When I rewind and attempt to find photos where he’s smiling, though, I’m at a loss. When life was good, he was typically behind the camera capturing the Continue reading
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ICYMI-Monday: Comfort in My Hands
Yes…this is a rewind post, brought to you by a dream. Last night my dad appeared in a goofy romp of an overnight, subconscious interlude where he wore his favorite swim trunks, preparing to dive into his pool, whilst wearing the most unlikely garment up top: the sweater his beloved sister knitted for him, decades Continue reading
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When You Crack Yourself Up: Just Go!
Some of my all-time favorite posts are those that are confessional. Where I tell on myself. I started the ‘Crack Yourself Up’ series in 2022 and if you’re curious about reading more about silly…stupid…Vicki, here’s a link so you can catch up. Or not. You decide. But the point of this post? I’ve got a Continue reading
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Classic Rewind: Apocalyptic Brownies
Every now and then, a piece of writing, a post from the past still speaks to me. I smile when I think of these as my very own ‘classic rewinds’. Coming at you on this ICYMI-M (In Case You Missed It Monday). First published in August, 2022. I love the pic of my favorite “Dad and daughter” Continue reading
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Podcast Friday – Plus!
Being vulnerable is a tough thing. Having a buddy to travel with as you peel back the layers and engage in self-disclosure is a joy and a blessing and those two words describe my friend, Wynne Leon perfectly. She’s a joy and a blessing, for sure! This week, not only did we have a thoughtful Continue reading
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Stevie the Wonder Cat
I am not a cat person…achooooo! But cats intrigue me – they always have. One of my all-time favorite Steinlen posters is “Clinique Cheron” because of the beautiful composition of cats (and yes, a few doggos, too) in the artwork. I love it and a version of has hung proudly in nearly every room of Continue reading
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When You Crack Yourself Up: Shake & Bake
Our kitchen remodel was close to a yearlong process, and I can’t believe – looking back to a year ago at this time – I was staring down the removal of our oven as we ‘roughed it’ with a makeshift kitchen (mostly in the basement and in our laundry room) for months and months. It’s Continue reading
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Embrace the Messy
I took a photo of the moon this morning. This moon – the one in the pic above. I had one eye open (barely) as I crept downstairs before dawn. The moonshine was so very bright I thought I’d missed a few hours of daylight. I thought the sun was already high in the sky. But Continue reading
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Happy Birthday, Dad! ❤
Ho, Ho, Ho…and a heads-up! You may have read this post from a year ago…thinking about my beloved papa as his birthday rolled around. Today marks what would’ve been his 88th birthday and I’ll be celebrating him all day – in ways large and small – not least of which as I remember the gifts he Continue reading
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Lisa Gets the Last Word
When people ask me to describe my sister Lisa’s personality, I share that she is sweet beyond belief and fragile, but I also acknowledge her ever-growing capacity to advocate for herself and assert her point of view. Lisa is simultaneously delightful and determined with a sense of humor like a steam roller. Coming in. Make Continue reading
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The Disappearing Girl – Part II
Hello there…and BOO! I’m playing a little trick on all of you…but it’s not about the story I’m sharing. I have a haunting tale to tell in four parts…. but for Part I of “The Disappearing Girl” you’ll need to hop over to my Heart of the Matter post to learn about an unusual photo Continue reading
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Push Those Buttons!
Speaking of cars and driving – which I explore in my Heart of the Matter post today – sharing memory lane recollections of safety lessons from my papa. I had an a-ha. I realized the driving issues of today would make my dad cringe. When he passed away in 1997, cell phones were becoming less Continue reading
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A Loss of Two-Thirds
I wrote a post a few months ago about my affection for John Muir and I’m learning that when I’m disconcerted about something, even this less-than-outdoorsy girl needs to get her feet on the ground, in nature, to work out heartaches. Yesterday I returned to a favorite garden – this time to visit the Continue reading
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Sue’s Big Satchel
At what point does an object become a character, a featured player in a story? I wondered about that the other day when a reader of “Surviving Sue” chuckled about how much she connected with the descriptions of “Sue’s big purse” or “Sue’s behemoth of a satchel” in the book. Yep, my mom’s favorite accessory Continue reading
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“Tree” Ring Circus
I enjoyed catching up with a friend this week and we shared some giggles about a tussle between two of his family members over Labor Day Weekend. I’m not sure if the hilarious story has the makings of a great commercial for hearing aids, a landscaping business or a jewelry store. Here’s what happened. Continue reading
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Two Treasured Calls
Yesterday our dear daughter (Delaney) called as she was driving to work at 6am. I was up, working on my first cup of coffee and as I sipped – just minutes before her call – I thought: “I haven’t talked to Delaney for a couple of days…I know she’s busy, but momma loves more than Continue reading
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175 Sleeps
It’s been nearly six months since we said goodbye to our seven-pound wonder dog, Sadie. Twenty-five weeks ago last night, the hubs and I had a fretful, sleepless night as our little girl’s health declined rapidly – waking at midnight with tremors and neurological issues. Those eight hours that we spent cuddling her, comforting her, Continue reading
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The Concert That Never Was…
My parents, Sue and Sonny, adored Tony Bennett and during the time they lived near San Francisco, they’d make a point of attending one of his concerts every year – often around Christmas or New Year’s Eve as a way to celebrate their birthdays and holidays all rolled into one. In 1989, the concert date Continue reading
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Baby & Mama
A couple of weeks ago I posted about our worries about a “Dear Deer”…a sweet lonely and lame girl who became a frequent visitor in our backyard. Sadly, we’ve seen no signs of her recently, but other family members 😊popped by, reminding us that life goes on. The scene in the pic (snipped in above) Continue reading
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Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Elder Care
Thank you so much for the feedback and input about the themes in my book, “Surviving Sue”. I promised I’d provide a peek, once a week, into the book, one tidbit at a time. This week? I’ve got elder care on my mind. (New! Feel like listening instead? Check out the latest Heart of the Continue reading
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Loving Lisa: Raindrops & Teardrops
My sweet sister Lisa, despite her disabilities, has a magical memory. Savant-like, especially related to music that underscored both joyful and challenging moments as we grew up. Whenever Lisa gets a song in her head that propels her into recall mode, I stop whatever I’m doing because I know the memory will be rich and Continue reading
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“Surviving Sue” Has Launched
How did I end up here? My mom’s life was remarkable in its complexity but nothing about that fact makes her story noteworthy, nor does it explain my compulsion to write about her life. Most families carry pain and unfinished business but the nuances and shades…the ways in which we navigate varies so dramatically. I’ve Continue reading
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Love Letters & Date Night
My sweet developmentally disabled sister, Lisa, calls every night — like clockwork — at 6pm. When she’s a little off schedule or if we’re out, I’ve tried to remind her she can call on my cell phone but managing technology is a struggle for her. For reasons that I don’t fully understand, she believes Continue reading
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Rocking Chair Allure
Thank goodness my dad was handy enough and wise enough to know that this petite rocking chair was a treasure, not trash. It looks pretty fab in its current condition but that’s only because dad rescued ‘her’. Just after he retired, he and mom began a ruthless purge of the attic space above their garage Continue reading
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If It’s 6pm it Must Be Lisa
Lisa says hello! Continue reading
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Love, Loss & 9 Percent
We have a blessed 9% in common… Continue reading
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For the Love of Lily
Keeping loved ones close…it means so much. Continue reading
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Blogging Buds: Writing About Fathers
Keeping the loved ones close…in our memories. Continue reading
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Loving Meghan
A plea for the brokenhearted today. ❤ Continue reading
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Books That Inspire…Instill Hope
Dads…Daughters…Love Continue reading
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Sadie Hugs for You
Puppy love! 😘 Continue reading
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Heart, Mind & Soul
A tale of an ancient Anglo Saxon word…and a tattoo…from the heart. Continue reading
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Extending Ourselves
Leading with love… Continue reading
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Every Picture Tells a Story
Hey mom…life is pretty good… Continue reading
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Bubblegum & Sister Love
I’d take the blame for Lisa all over again… Continue reading
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Happy Is…as Happy Does
Look at that swagger…just look! Continue reading
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SAYING it Doesn’t Make it So…
I love my sister…but she keeps me on my toes! Continue reading
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It Was Never About the Mashed Potatoes
A new Dottie came to play… Continue reading
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Loving Lisa – Elvis Style
Little-known facts…courtesy of sweet sister Lisa. Continue reading
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“Hold the Pickle, Hold the Lettuce…”
I don’t like condiments…turns out I’m not alone… Continue reading
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He Wore Pink…
Silly Sunday smiles…from my papa to you… Continue reading
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If Houses Could Speak…
Wait…what? Unexpected discoveries are the best… Continue reading
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Mom Was in a Mood…
What could go wrong? A month in a hotel with mom? Continue reading
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Aunt Bea’s Wit and Wisdom
Aunt Bea knew best…parenting IS hard… Continue reading
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It’s Raggedy Anne’s Fault
Raggedy Anne, you’re taunting me… Continue reading
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Be the One
Love and kindness are everything… Continue reading
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CSI: Lisa
A smile for you…from sweet sister Lisa. Continue reading
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She Was a Pretty House…
I don’t know if my love of Queen Anne architecture is a nod to nostalgia or something else. Like many things in my life, design-wise, I don’t question it. It just IS. Back a few generations, this stately home was built by my husband’s family, right around the turn of the century…I mean the last Continue reading
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Stay Safe
Thinking of those in Ian’s path… Continue reading
“Surviving Sue”, a special story about resiliency and love: Eckhartz Press (paperback) and eBook on Amazon.
Peek Inside “Surviving Sue“
Visit Resources on Atkinson Group Solutions for more.
Podcasts
Listen to the “Sharing the Heart of the Matter” podcast.
You can find our podcast on Apple, Amazon, Spotify and Pocket Casts. Please subscribe!
Workshops
Chicago Writers Association Speakers Bureau – Writing for Wellness; Navigating Elder Care with Grace & Humor; How to Create a Writing Platform; AI for Caregivers
About Me
Learn about five books that inspired and supported my writing journey by visiting my personalized book review page on Shepherd.
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