• Fun in Chicago,  My Kid Has Mad Skillz

    Indy Flight

    Let’s say you’ve got a kid between the ages of 8 and 17. And let’s say that the kid really wants to fly a plane. Scratch that. Let’s say that you have a kid who may not know he wants to fly a plane, but if you were to offer him the chance to fly a plane, he would nearly jump out of his skin (from excitement) at the thought of doing it. Let’s say that you take him to the local airport where there happens to be a Young Eagles program, and let’s go ahead and say that once he meets the volunteer pilot who is nice enough to…

  • Uncategorized

    At A Crossroads, Again.

    A couple of days ago, I was rooting around, trying to find some stuff to donate to Amvets since I committed to leaving a bag out for them. I looked at my bookshelf and started pulling books out…and then I noticed a theme. With the exception of the Writer’s Market at the bottom of the stack, all of these books that I pulled to donate to Amvets are books I bought ages ago with the hopes that they would help me get to various personal goals. How’d it work for me? Let’s see. 1. Simplify Your Life by Elaine St. James (subtitle: 100 Ways to slow down and enjoy the…

  • Amazing People,  Blessings,  Confessions,  Food,  Friends,  Working On My Fitness

    Alright, Alright…Birthdays Aren’t THAT Bad, Especially When They Last A Week.

    I have done a lot of bellyaching over the past couple of months about turning F…F…Fo…Forty, and although I am still not thrilled, my chosen new attitude is helping me to settle in, along with the wonderful birthday WEEK I just experienced. My friends and family tossed so much love at me, how could I be anything but warm and fuzzy? Last Sunday evening, Jim surprised me by taking the entire Fab Five (if you’re a newbie here at the Scrawl, the Fab Five is me, Jim, the boys, and my sister Julesie) out to dinner. Everyone knew where we were going except for me, the birthday girl. I was…

  • I'm Apparently Old.

    Polish Like It’s 1999

    I am a creature of habit. I like routine. I am comforted by “The Same” of it all. Shakeups and unpredictability are fun for me now and then (alright, depending on what it is); I can rise to the occasion and have fun with something different, but in general terms and daily details I am all cozy with what I’m used to. Which is why, when my friend/co-worker said to me “We’re not painting your nails a boring color this time, are we?” I trembled a little bit. Yeah, it’s just nails*. No, I’m not a shallow person. There are bigger decisions to be made and the matter of nail…