It’s that time again: today is Donna Day, a day on which I am joining a huge group of bloggers in trying to create some waves regarding childhood cancer. Donna Day is named for the daughter of my friend (and 2013 LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER CHICAGO cast member) Sheila Quirke, who blogs under the name Mary Tyler Mom. Sheila and her husband Jeremy, who also have two young sons, lost their beloved Donna in 2009. Donna’s Cancer Story is documented in a series of thirty-two posts that Sheila wrote. Their story is hard to read but I think it’s so important to read anyway. No family should have to go…
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The Power Of Positive Thinking
Yesterday I drove to the Dailey Method studio to take class and as I got out of the car I put my gloves on and secured my hat and scarf to make sure I was protected from the sub-zero temperatures. I squeezed my keys in my right hand a couple of times—a habit that has kept me from locking myself out of my car for as long as I can remember—and then quickly shoved them into the pocket of my jacket as I walked. I heard something fall to the sidewalk and realized that the keyring that has an easy release, the one that makes it easy for me to…
- Amazing People, Best Thing Ever, Blessings, Friends, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Something That Could Change Your Life, We Are An Awesome Couple
My Favorite Things: The New Jersey Edition (Yo!)
Yesterday was my last day in New Jersey and, because she’s real smart like that, Liz thought we should go out to breakfast and do a little more local sightseeing in the area rather than sit around at her house, crying because we had to say goodbye in the afternoon, which totally would have happened. During a lovely walk in Thompson Park—which is NOT named after Liz or her husband Garth (Not His Real Name); I checked!!–we talked about our week and I told her that I didn’t even have a favorite part; the entire visit was my favorite. That was only a little true. I have some favorites, but…
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Or I Could Just Keep Buying Bread Like I’ve Done My Entire Life.
We own what I consider to be an average amount of small kitchen appliances. Wait. Better make that a slightly-above-average amount of small kitchen appliances, partly due to the following: 1. We were given one of those Cocomotion hot chocolate makers/mixers a few years ago (we don’t use it anymore but it’s cool so I keep it, you know, just in case). 2. When I purchased a large slow cooker a couple of years ago, I refused to get rid of the small one we already had (Great for entertaining!). 3. We have an electric fondue pot, which (I think) is probably uncommon in the average household, but very common…
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Always Remember, Never Forget
Last year, I started a new tradition for the National Day of Remembrance. I had visited the National September 11 Memorial when I was in Manhattan for BlogHer ’12, and was extremely moved by the experience (massive understatement). It occurred to me that, rather than passively watch the televised tributes and read what the rest of the internet had to say about 9/11, each year I would involve myself by actively remembering and learning about a couple of the victims of that terrible day. Cecelia E. Richard was 41 years old and worked at the Pentagon as an accounting technician. She was the youngest of seven children and was married…
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Please Join Us Tomorrow Night!
Here’s a programming note for tomorrow night: Please join LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER and The Partnership at Drugfree.org as we present a live-streaming event of personal stories to #EndMedicineAbuse. Date: The evening of Tuesday, September 10th, 2013 Time: 9 PM EST RSVP (optional for Google + users) View live: http://www.youtube.com/user/LTYMShow/live Hear new/original work by myself and ten other bloggers on the topic of personal connections to addiction, substance use, and/or what we want children to know about the medicine abuse epidemic in a powerful story-sharing hour. Join us at this engaging kickoff to a blog post tour and watch the livestream broadcast. I’m honored to participate in this very special…
- Childhood Memories, Confessions, Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?, I'm Apparently Old., Something That Could Change Your Life
TV Or Not TV? That Is The Question.
It is not an understatement to say that television has been a major presence in my life. I’m convinced that the reason why my skin is so fair is because as a little kid I was much happier sitting in front of the TV than I was outside in the fresh air and sunshine. It’s also probably part of the reason why I was reading at a third grade level in Kindergarten, because “Sesame Street” and “The Electric Company”. It’s also probably why I never could perform a proper cartwheel. During the 1970s my TV habit grew, and this was BEFORE CABLE, kids. We had the rabbit ear antenna attached…
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#BlogHer13: Wow.
After reading somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 BlogHer ’13 recaps (so far) for my job as Social Media Researcher for BlogHer, I caught up yesterday afternoon (for now) and decided to go ahead and write my own post before hundreds more show up in my queue and my brain gets fried completely. (I hear it sizzling, so I thought I’d better hurry.) This was my fifth BlogHer; I’ve attended it each year since the last time it was in Chicago (2009). It was the first BlogHer that was experienced as a member of the BlogHer team as opposed to just attending. I’ve said for two years now that San…
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PSA: Listen To Your Body!
Show of hands: how many of you listen to your body? Uh-huh. Same here. Over the years I have been a pretty stubborn person when it comes to going to the doctor. I’m not talking about physicals and womanly checkups and such. Those I do, no problem. What I mean is, when something out-of-the-ordinary comes up, I typically dig my heels in for as long as possible (Queen of Denial) rather than call my doctor. I usually make the call once Jim and I get into an argument discussion about how hard-headed I am. I don’t know for sure why I am the way I am when it comes to…
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It’s Donna Day! #conquerkidscancer #DonnaDay
When it comes to the LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER show, the people are the heart of it–well, the people and their stories, of course–but for me it’s more than that. These people end up feeling like family members in some ways. Last year’s cast, like it or not, is stuck with me. (Most of them aren’t objecting.) Every single stinkin’ one of them is special to me in their own way and I would follow them to the moon and back. This year’s cast, freshly announced two weeks ago, is only starting to realize the same thing. I chuckle to myself a little bit each time Tracey and I have…