Jul 14, 2022Finding Dante’s 10th Circle in the UKHaving never driven in England before, I’m not sure what we were thinking when we recklessly decided to rent a car for two days to drive around the Cotswolds. …3 min read3 min read
Apr 13, 2022Poor Woman’s Wine TourMy husband and I lived in Southern Oregon for nearly two decades in the heart of the Umpqua Valley. During those years vineyards were popping up all over the Pacific Northwest, and our valley was no exception. However, we were also young parents with two small kids, living off humble…Pepsi3 min readPepsi3 min read
Apr 3, 2022SOME WORDS AND PHRASES NEED TO BE LOST FOREVER, AT THE END OF THE DAYI don’t know about you, but in 2022, I hope I never have to hear the words “asking for a friend,” “supply chain,” or “you’re on mute” again. Apparently, I’m not alone. …Words3 min readWords3 min read
Apr 3, 2022IN DEFENSE OF A LOVE THAT IS FOUND IN SURPRISING PLACESIt’s the season of valentines, and to be honest, I kind of don’t care. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of love. It’s just that my understanding of love has evolved over the years to the point that Feb. 14 is just another day. In my elementary school…Valentines Day3 min readValentines Day3 min read
Apr 3, 2022FLYING THE NOT-SO-FRIENDLY SKIESDid you happen to read about the bomb scare at the Eugene Airport last week? No? That’s because the TSA agents were on top of their game at 5:30 a.m. and intercepted me before I could do some real damage. Let me back up. When I travel, I make sure…Eugene2 min readEugene2 min read
Apr 3, 2022ODE TO THE ELLIPSESI know it’s wrong to use it in such a way, and I know that’s it’s become a crutch, but I must admit that I’ve been having an illegitimate love affair with the ellipsis for years now. …Grammar3 min readGrammar3 min read
Apr 3, 2022KILLER SAVINGS PROMPT ‘VENI, VIDI, VILSE’ AT IKEAIf you’re anything like me, you love a bargain. And sometimes that means getting home, unpacking your bags to brag about how much money you saved, then asking yourself, “Now what was I thinking when I bought that?” “Oh, yes, it was $64.99 marked down to $4.99! How exciting.” …IKEA3 min readIKEA3 min read
Apr 3, 2022BEWARE THE ACRONYMIn 1943, David Davis of Bell Laboratories coined the term acronym as the name for a word created from the first letters of each word in a series of words (such as SCUBA, which stands for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). …Acronyms3 min readAcronyms3 min read
Apr 3, 2022I CAN’T BE TRUSTED WITH A DIY PROJECTI am not cut out for do-it-yourself projects. Never have been; never will be. I’ve heard it said that the healing process can begin when you admit your shortcomings, so I’m going public with my admission. My inability to do-it-myself once again became crystal clear while designing my own graduation…DIY3 min readDIY3 min read
Apr 3, 2022SMALL MOMENTS ADD UP TO BIG CHANGES IN OUR CHILDREN’S LIVESI’ve written some version of this article every year around graduation time, especially the last few years as I’ve watched our friends’ children reach the age where they are graduating from high school. This year is especially poignant as we send our oldest off to college in August. I still…Growing Up3 min readGrowing Up3 min read
