I am all about stepping out of my comfort zone these days. I haven’t always been that way and it’s still not always easy but I firmly believe that many of the things I have and things I am able to do have resulted from my “getting uncomfortable” at times, and setting things in motion somehow, by either taking action or just putting the ask out there. I just realized that this week marks the thirtieth anniversary of the day I put the wheels in motion for the thing that has affected just about every element of my life ever since: my marriage. Thirty years ago this week I ended…
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Those Shoes.
I smile a lot. I know, it can be sickening to the people of the world who aren’t so happy-go-lucky. Sorry/not sorry. I just try to spend lots of time appreciating the little things as much as the big things. Here’s one little thing that always always always makes me smile, no matter how many times I’ve seen it–and I’ve seen it hundreds of times: Those are Jim’s shoes (Keen sandals) on the garage floor right behind his car. He wears those shoes from the house out to the garage, where he pulls his bike off of the ceiling hooks and leans it up against the brick wall outside. Then…
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The Very Best Sundays.
Sometimes the very best Sundays involve skipping your workout, jumping in the car with your husband, driving ninety minutes to pick up your older son, continuing to drive for another forty-five minutes to pick up your younger son, making your way over to a pizza place that your younger son recommends but finding it closed for lunch and instead eating at a place called People’s Park which isn’t a park at all but serves really yummy burgers on brioche buns, and while you eat you’re all ribbing each other but in the most laughter-filled, fun way, and then after you eat you go check out some vinyl at the record…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, Fun in Chicago, Proud Moments, Something That Could Change Your Life
Get Ready For Listen To Your Mother 2015!
Things are getting exciting all up in here (again!); on Thursday, the LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER 2015 season kicked off with our city announcement. This year we’re bigger and better than ever with twenty-nine returning cities and ten new cities! We’ve come a long way from that single show in Madison, Wisconsin back in 2010, don’t you think? (*high fives Ann Imig*) As the National New Cities Mentor, I’ve been working with our new production teams behind the scenes for the last month or so, all while they were keeping the news of their selection under wraps. That’s DIFFICULT, you guys. Like, you don’t even know. Over the past four…
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Jersey Girls
If we’re connected on Facebook or if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I just returned from a week in New Jersey with my sistuh-from-anuthuh-muthuh, Liz. You know that we had a blast whether we were just hanging out at the house with the entire family or gallivanting, just the two of us, down the Jersey Shore, from Seaside Heights all the way south to Cape May. What you don’t know is that I did not open my laptop for six days. Six. Days. Other than while on the cruise our family enjoyed last summer when I didn’t have the choice (because I left it home), I have…
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We Made It Out Alive!
As I mentioned last week, D and I had plans to go to Six Flags Fright Fest on Sunday, and we had a great time. It was wonderful to go there with no pressure to get on as many rides as we possibly could so we could feel like we got our money’s worth, since the tickets were a lovely gift. It was completely relaxing—well, except for seeing things like the blood red pool in front of the carousel at the park entry, the ghostly, creepy park decorations, and the regular people walking around with various deep wounds (and ninja stars) on their faces, applied by Six Flags employees at…
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Back To Life, Back To Reality.
The past week was absolutely insane for me, and by “insane” I mean “moderately horrible”. I threw my back out two Saturdays ago doing who-knows-what (I think just walking?). Not knowing how an injury originated, by the way, does make the coping with it worse for me, mentally. I had to replace almost all of my normal activities with things like making sure to take ibuprofen regularly, sitting with a heating pad, laying down more than usual, and generally being miserable and crabby. It was awful. One bright spot came at the end of the week when I received a surprise flower arrangement from Kalla and the girls at Chicagonista…
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Take A Hike.
When D was a Cub Scout and going on his first group hikes, he used to stay at the front with the other little boys. They would inevitably increase the distance between us parents and them by speeding up from excitement and not paying attention. “Slow down,” we’d yell. “We need to be able to keep an eye on you.” As one would expect, the boys learned very well as they grew older to pace themselves according to the rest of the group, and hikes became a little less stressful for the parents. A couple of years in, he and his same-aged friends hiked in the middle of the pack…
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Happy Friday!
Indeed, it is. Sidenote: I absolutely know that just prior to 5:00 p.m. on a Friday is perhaps the absolute worst time to publish a blog post if you want people to notice and maybe even read it, but I’m throwing caution to the wind and just doing it. I’ve been trying to build back up to posting four to five times each week and I think the “posting” part is more important to me at the moment than the “having it read by actual people” part. (That said, big sloppy kisses to you if you’re reading this.) I have to say that I have felt an internal change over…
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Slow No Wake
I went on sabbatical yesterday afternoon. It was extremely out of character for me, but I have been out of character for a while now. I’ve been working even more than usual, sleeping less than usual, and feeling more drained than usual. Last week it all seemed to hit me at once and I walked around on the verge of stress- and exhaustion-induced tears for days. I had the strong desire to take a road trip somewhere, anywhere. Just…away. That’s why, when I ran into a friend of mine while running errands and she noticed that I was so tightly-wound and subsequently offered up her lake house as a possible…