Recently some friends and I sat around my little round kitchen table, in what still feels like my new little dining area, and shared some pizza and laughs. On the wooden shelf that hangs on the wall behind us is a little metal mouse, and my Dad's hat - always, always a couple of conversation pieces. My Dad never liked to draw attention to himself. He didn't like being made a big deal of, and in any conversation, he was more likely to let someone go on and on about themselves, than to ever talk about himself. And it wasn't as if he didn't have interesting things about himself to share, because he certainly did! He'd tell a joke (often times over and over), before he'd ever brag about himself. I'm not sure if he realized it or not, but he didn't have to talk about himself - his life ... View Post
What Exactly Is A Pood?
Pood Noun Definition of Pood A friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 A friend who refreshes your soul. Proverbs 27:9 Friends who encourage and build one another up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 Friends who help each other out, should one of them fall. Ecclesiastes 4:10 Friends who share heartfelt advice. Proverbs 27:9 Someone who makes a pinky promise and 15 years later, has renewed said pinky promise several times. Someone who welcomes your family members into their home when they're moving across country, and makes them feel right. at. home. (Basically, they take care of your kid when you can't.) Someone you can just call and go, "Pood..." and they reply... "I know." A Pood is someone who doesn't laugh at you, when you ... View Post
Junk Drawer Treasures
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June – Pretty Soaps & Fun Hats
It's Friday night and I've been plopped here on my couch for a couple of hours enjoying some good phone conversation with a friend, and then I balanced the checkbook and made a grocery list. Woo hoo! Exciting night! And then I remembered I hadn't journaled my month of June... And then I wondered why I set a goal for myself to journal each month's happenings in 2022... And then I sat and laughed at myself because it's not as if any of it would be of any great interest to anyone... But then I remembered that for the past two weeks, I've been re-reading some old journals. So perhaps this time next year it will be of interest to me. Or maybe not. Anyhow, who cares? In June I attended a couple of Saturday softball games with my two favorite softball players - Lyla and Owen. ... View Post
I Wish You Could See Your Nurse!
Often lately I go to a local restaurant in the mornings to have coffee with whatever book I'm enjoying. The waitress knows I like the corner booth - the one tucked behind a tall plant where I can remain unseen for an hour. I like to read, and I like it quiet - but not too, too quiet.... Just enough noise to enjoy being among people, and that corner booth is just right. During my most recent visit to this local neighborhood diner, I couldn't help but overhear a conversation from a table close by. A woman had visited her friend in a nearby hospital. Apparently, that hospital is the worse one in town. She spent the better part of two of my chapters hammering the place for what I have no idea were legitimate complaints and concerns or not, but I did wonder if she had anything ... View Post
Nurses – Pull Your Masks Down!
It happened one day when I was feeding a very elderly woman with just a little bit of dementia. She wasn't very interested in having a conversation, but I just knew that somewhere inside of her was some wisdom. You don't make it to your 90's, or suffer any great illness without learning some stuff along the way! So I asked her, "what would you share with me in my 50's as the most valuable piece of wisdom you have learned over your lifetime?" After a considerable amount of time, she finally told me to stop feeding her dinner, and move on to the dessert - a great big piece of chocolate cake she'd been eyeing since her dinner tray arrived. Genius! I remember laughing out loud and saying what a great piece of advice that was! It was as if we were cut from the same cloth! And from ... View Post
Unlikely Influencers
Right now I'm sitting alone on my porch listening to the birds in the trees singing away without a care in the world. I still miss my old neighborhood, the friends who were close by, and the hustle and bustle outside, but I have really come to love sitting out here listening to these chirping melodies! It's nice to leave the phone in the house, and just sit here and listen. And think. And with all of the recent twists and turns in my life, I've really been thinking about so many different things lately - some that I wish I didn't have to think of, and others that I'm curious why I'd never thought about before! But I do love to sit and think about some crazy stuff. (Just ask my sister! When I pull out the list of questions to think about, I think she wants to pretend that she's ... View Post
Wrapping up May
The month of May ended 18 days ago, and I'm just now sitting down to journal all that I did... or didn't do! I actually had to flip back to May in my calendar to find out just what I'd done. It was THAT exciting of a month - and that's a good thing! I love boring months! Speaking of months, I just got a new calendar/journal from Etsy, filled with lists, and pockets, and as much as I want the month of June to last forever, I can't wait to start using the new calendar that starts with July. Some of you will get that! I'm six months into my new job now, and still getting used to being east of Woodward. I'm discovering I actually DO know some people on the side of town near my work, and there are some pretty sweet restaurants to visit! I've made it a goal to discover some new fun ... View Post