These days I mostly try not to write. My life is so full of work and family and weeding. But every now and then, my brain starts to itch and the only way to scratch that itch is writing. This is where you will find my most recent scratchings.
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No Frills Five: A Soft-Core Challenge
When I first started reading about people challenging themselves with “No-Spending” weeks, I thought it absurd. A week? Give me a break. Who cares? You go stock up on your groceries, and then are so proud when you keep your wallet at home for a week? Big, fat deal. But, I have often fallen prey to a very all or nothing mindset. And as I get older I realize how unproductive and self defeating it can be. Why do I expect people to go crazy and give up everything as they know it before I’ll be impressed? Don’t I profess…
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Kitchens, Part 4: Micro-Zones or “I Can’t Be the Only Whatever I Am in the Room”
In case you haven’t figured it out yet, I think a lot. It annoys even me. Or maybe, mostly me. A blog is the logical extension of a brain like mine. In fact, I’ve always had a running blog in my own head, from back waaaaay before there was such a thing as blogs (from even before every home had a computer!) No readers though. Just me and my brain, all by our little lonesomes, narrating my life in a continuous, endless loop. Sometimes I catch myself standing slack-jawed in the middle of the room. I’ve been standing there for…
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I Heart Coffee
Dear god is that some divine elixir. I don’t think I’ve mentioned yet my daughter’s Night Waking. Yes, those words deserve to be capitalized. I don’t mean she wakes and cries out, needs comforting, then goes back to sleep (though she does that plenty too). No, I mean she sometimes wakes up in the night, as in completely awake, good morning, what’s for breakfast. When she does this, at least, she is usually in a good mood. But she does not want to lay all alone in her bed. Oh no. Her Night Waking goes in phases. She’ll sleep fine…
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Kitchens, Part 3: Work Zones
For you kitchen geek out over-analyzers left in the readership, let’s move on to my Work Zones. Here’s the three things I do most in my kitchen (besides dishes) — cut veggies, stand at the stove, and mix up baked goodies. Borrowing from permaculture design, we’ll call my work areas “zones” and assign them numbers based on how frequently I use them. Here’s my Zone 1. My most used space in the kitchen, my Main Man. I have always thought a window over the sink was integral to a kitchen. And I haven’t exactly changed my mind, my dream kitchen…
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Learning to Talk
Toddler is standing on the back steps, looking in at me. “Mama!” She says excitedly, “I want my cock!” ummmm…. “Your……. Clock?” “No! My cock!” “Your…..” I’m wracking my brain, “…Talk?” “No! I want my co-CK!” With an almost German throat clearing sound on the “ck.” At that point I can’t stand it anymore and bust out laughing, practically falling down the steps to her. Fortunately she takes it in good humor and laughs with me, seeing the basic hilarity of communication. “Ok,” I say. “Take me inside and show me what you mean.” We go in and look from…
calamity jane 