ducking
You could have the patience of Job. You could be helpful, kind and polite. You could be a good listener. You could be the nicest person in the world. And there are still going to be people you'd rather avoid. You know what I'm talking about. You're halfway down the aisle at the supermarket,…
tell me more
So maybe you're feeling challenged lately to be a better listener – shining the spotlight a bit more on others and a bit less on yourself. Great! But what do you do when other people just aren't the talkative type? :: cue the crickets :: Certainly that is the right time to fill the empty space…
grand
I shared with you in a recent post about Brandon, the boy I had taken in for a year-and-a-half when I was just out of college. He was not the only one. I first met John in a crack house. Lest you pair this information with patchy memories of my cat story and really think I'm shady, I went into…
should
While I was away in North Carolina, I smelled like strawberries and some kind of coconut concoction allegedly endorsed by monkeys. After a mind-twistingly long drive, I was in desperate need of sleep. I hadn't unpacked yet. Couldn't bring myself to. But I knew I wouldn't sleep until I'd had a…
and the answer is ...
Chad and Eric picked me up from the airport as I returned from North Carolina after a few days with my brother and his family. On the way back, we stopped for lunch. During the conversation, Eric commented that he and Chad had held much different views from each other back when they'd been in high…
why we do: part two
In yesterday's post, "why we do: part one," I told you about my life-saving efforts with three baby birds and the questions this raised. If you haven't yet read that post, I would suggest reading it before this one, so as to make the most sense of things. When I was in college, I did some…
why we do: part one
It's my last full day in North Carolina. I was awakened at just past 8:00AM to the sound of my nephew crying. I heard chatter downstairs, indicating that he may need to go to the ER for a severe earache, so I got out of bed despite the clear need for more sleep. It turned out that…
turning it around
Yesterday, I shared with you that I was getting ready to head off on a road trip to see my brother in North Carolina. The last load of laundry didn't finish until after 11:00, and then I posted the blog entry. I still hadn't packed by the time I went to bed, just before midnight. For some…
treats
I'm staying at my mom's house tonight. We are planning to head off at 5:00 AM on a 15-hour road trip to see my brother in North Carolina. That will mean getting up at 3:30. But at the moment, I am waiting for laundry to finish. And writing. Earlier this evening, we took her husband's jeep out…
human technology
Technology is here to stay. But that doesn't mean it has to be a takeover. For all my reminiscing about "the way it was," I really do enjoy modern technology. When I was in high school, my girlfriend lived about 45 minutes away. The very best phone plans allowed free dialing within about a…