Recently a friend of mine wrote on Facebook, “Wishing sharpies were washable....” after her young daughter had used a sharpie for “artwork” all over a family members bedding. I knew that my friend had already dealt with disciplining her daughter and wrote back, “Might as well give the kids a pack of colorful sharpies and let them go to town to … [Read more...]
Go Shake a Veterans Hand in Gratitude
I grew up on military bases in foreign countries, and still, it wasn't until I was much older that I truly understood the full extent of the sacrifice that our military makes every day for our freedom. This song, 'Veteran's Hand, written by Prevo Rodgers Jr. after he returned home in 2006 from a tour in Iraq is a great reminder that we should … [Read more...]
Action Acts as a Magnet Towards Finding Purpose
I have a love hate relationship with sleep. On one hand I love to sleep and on the other hand I have trouble quieting my mind to go to sleep. My sleepless nights have given me plenty of time to ponder sleep and the various ways in which we can sleep through life; even when we are awake. The last time I physically slept through life was in … [Read more...]
Fierce Love Blurs Negative History
When I was a child my mother never let me use coloring books. She didn’t want me to learn to color within the lines. She taught me to use the entire piece of paper when I colored. She taught me that the sky should take up at least half of the page and not be a tiny blue line at the top of the page. She taught me to use all the colors in the Crayola … [Read more...]
Search the Horizon for a Patch of Blue Sky
When I graduated from high school, I literally walked out of the ceremony, posed for pictures and walked away from everything and everyone that was related to my two years of high school in San Antonio. I went to college at Lewis & Clark in Portland, Oregon and never looked back. When I left for college I thought I would never step foot in San … [Read more...]
I Should Have Worn Better Shoes to Face the Day
Have you ever had one of moments in life where you shake your head and think, “Well I certainly wasn’t expecting that to happen today?” One that stands out in my mind happened when my mother and I were chit-chatting as we drove down a busy road in San Antonio, Texas. I was driving us home from movie together when suddenly several cars collided in … [Read more...]
How to Best Protect Yourself from Your Landlord
I have moved over 27 times in my lifetime. I’ve lived in apartment complexes, rental homes, been a homeowner and also spent time as a property manager. I thought I knew everything I ever needed to know to insure that I never lost a penny of my deposit money. Boy, oh boy was I recently proven wrong by my Vancouver, Washington landlord Zenith … [Read more...]
Let Us Never Forget
This year I was a chaperone for Selah’s class on a trip to Washington D.C. and New York City. We saw more monuments than I can count, but the two monuments that made a lasting impression on me were the 9/11 Memorial in New York City and at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. The time spent there was powerful. This tragedy took place in our … [Read more...]
Grounded for Life
Small piece of advice: always, and I mean always, take a potty break before they slap the handcuffs on. Honestly, I’ve only had the pleasure of wearing handcuffs twice in my life, which I know is less than some and more than others, so I don’t know if I qualify as an expert on the subject or not. But the two times I found myself handcuffed all I … [Read more...]
5 Lessons on Landing the Leap of Faith
In gymnastics landing a leap correctly is nearly as important as your take off and midair execution of the leap. I learned this lesson during my one year attempt at being a gymnast. I’ve never been very coordinated, but that didn’t stop me as a child from making an attempt at many sports and activities that required it. In Junior High I decided … [Read more...]
Love Me or Love Me Not
I remember it so clearly. I must have been about 6 years old when my mother took me to the store to pick out any doll I wanted. We weren't big shoppers so it was a huge deal to go to the store to buy a doll. I stood in the aisles searching their faces looking for the most beautiful and lovely doll of them all. Finally, I saw her. I fell immediately … [Read more...]