Today, October 1st, marks 34 years since my brother Steve died from a drug overdose. October 1, 1992. I was 24. He was 33. Just two days ago was the 43rd anniversary of my brother David’s death. Nine years and two days apart. It’s strange how time heals these wounds. Every year, those two dates come back to back, and…
Tag: writing
Keep Laughing, It Makes the Devil Mad
Back in February 2011, I wrote a little line that has stuck with me ever since: “Keep laughing, it makes the devil mad.” Let me tell you how that saying came to be part of my lexicon. The boys and I were down in New Orleans. The youngest two had appointments, so we loaded up the Suburban in Mandeville and…
Why I Say What I Mean (and Mean What I Say)
This Tuesday, September 29th marks 43 years since my brother David died from a self inflicted gunshot wound. September 29, 1983. I was fifteen. Suicide affects the living family members forever. The pain and questions dull over the years, but the scar leaves a mark for all eternity. That anniversary, plus a rough week, has me thinking about why I…
The Backpacking Chair That Earned Its Keep (and the One That Weighs Almost Nothing)
Somewhere along the 100-Mile Wilderness, my chair broke. Marty wasn’t even sure he wanted to bring a chair when we were doing our final gear shakedowns. He already owned an REI Flexlite that tipped the scales at 1 lb 11 oz. Once I tried it on trail, though, the decision was easy. He ordered a second one so we could…
Preparing for Maine: Natural Bug Spray, New Ear Tube and More
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there! Recently, I have been getting into the Lego botanical sets. They are so much fun and very relaxing to assemble! They are available on Amazon! Sean got a Mother’s Day Bouquet for me and I got it put together this week. He was originally supposed to be out of town today,…
Why Smartwool Leggings are a Hiker’s Best Choice
Hello! The new client rollout went very smoothly for the first two days. Whew! The first few days are always the roughest with any rollout and I am thankful that it went well. I love my job SO much. It is a blessing to have such an amazing job with a great company. I am always amazed when I look…
Rediscovering Christmas Cards: A Heartfelt Tradition
For the first time in 9 years, I have Christmas cards in the mail before Christmas Day! Woo Hoo! Christmas has been a struggle for me since my family was broken up. I know people don’t like to hear about that part, but it is completely normal for women to feel this way after abandonment– even 9 years later. This…
Healing Through Decluttering: Letting Go
Last month, I was sorting through a few things in our guest bedroom. Nine years ago, I shoved so much stuff in the closets to get it off the floor that the doors barely close. Some of it has just been shuffled from one shelf to another or from one closet to another. I donated boxes and boxes of books.…
Searching for White Squirrels in Brevard- FOUND!
The last several months have been crazy at work. Anyone with a job can relate to work craziness, right? <smile> I really love my job. It is literally the best company I have ever worked for and we have some really amazing people in our company. We get through the daily grind with a hefty dose of teamwork! In the…
The Healing Power of Dogs: A Tribute to Shadow
When I called Lap of Love on Tuesday, I asked God to give me a sign that I had made the right decision. Today is going to be SO hard, but God has shown all three of us that euthanizing Shadow this afternoon is the right decision. God really showed up. No one wants to make this choice. No one.…
