Both my dogs are having identity crises. Ginger is an outside dog who thinks she’s an inside dog. C.J. is an inside dog who thinks he’s an outside dog. Let me explain. Ginger is supposed to be a full-blooded Basset hound. We have our doubts about the full-blooded part. She’s just about the sweetest dog […]
Love Story
My husband retired in May, and I’m pretty sure he’s about to embark on a new career as a yenta. Only, instead of romantic matches, he finds people a family. Well, not actually people. He finds families for lonely ducks. He has a gift. A couple of years ago, we purchased a bunch of baby […]
China Doll
At this moment I’m sitting in my bed, propped against pillows and typing this to you. My fingers are here. My brain is here. But mascara tracks my cheeks, and my heart is somewhere in the air between Texas and Vancouver. By this time tomorrow, my heart will be on the other side of the […]
Riddled
I have a riddle for you. Two guys and a girl are walking down the street. One has a golf club, one has a shovel, and one has a flashlight. What are they doing? If you can answer correctly, you’ll win a million dollars in Monopoly money. I’ll have it wired to your bank account, […]
Talking to Myself
Am I crazy? Wait. Don’t answer that. I’m not sure I want to know. But really . . . am I? For those of you nodding your heads, you can stop. I wasn’t talking to you. I was talking to myself, which means you were eavesdropping. But I’m quite willing to forgive you because I […]
Internet Search
My Internet hates me. I don’t know why. I’ve done everything he asked me. I’ve bought routers and extenders and cords, oh my! I’ve signed up for the latest and greatest and faithfully paid my bills on time. But my Internet service—let’s call him Bill—has a long memory, and just between you and me, I […]
The Impressives
I’ve always wanted to be an Impressive. You know the Impressives, don’t you? They’re members of that elite group of glittery people with nearly-perfect hair even on a windy day. Their clothes are always pressed, their speech always dignified, their nails always manicured. Those people. I really want to join their club. But in the […]
Highly Sensitive Person
I am a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP). Seriously, it’s a thing. Though when I’m in the throws of my HSP-ness, it helps to think of it as Has Some Problems. While everybody else sees life through a lens of relative normalcy, we HSP’s see life through a supersized, NASA-grade microscope. For example, when my husband […]
The Longest Day
Sometimes a day lasts longer than twenty-four hours. Yesterday, I had one of those days. I started the morning at 3 am about an hour north of San Jose, California, where I’d been for a week. My flight home left at 6:10 am, which meant I needed to be at the airport two hours before […]
Pitch Black
I don’t try to lead a dangerous, on-the-edge kind of life. I’m more of a play-it-safe, eat-your-veggies, go-to-bed-at-8:30 kind of girl. But sometimes I find myself on the brink of disaster anyway. Last night was one of those times. I lead a writer’s group at my church on Wednesday nights. These people are my tribe. […]