There are some things that just can’t be explained, like why does a dropped piece of toast always land jelly side down, or why does the phone ring just as you get the shampoo lathered in your hair, or why do people die before they should. Being the logical, connect the dots thinker, I more times than not try to … Read More
I had just dozed off after one of those awake and can’t go back to sleep stints. “Mom. Mom,” Jill was nudging my shoulder. I sat up trying to remember where I was. “I think Dillard’s has some really good sales until 10. You want to go to the mall?” I felt like she was six again. “Well … sure,” … Read More
Whenever I tried to start a conversation, she was distant, aloof and cold. I couldn’t figure out what I might have done to deserve to be treated in such a condescending way. It became a personal challenge to see if I could squeeze even the slightest smile out of her. I started to feel like a kid working hard to … Read More
I’m always surprised, but not really. Deep inside each of us must be an insatiable need to be heard. Researchers say women tend to use about 20,000 words a day and men around 7,000. I suppose life circumstances either help people use up all their words every day or leave them with a surplus. I ran into a man this … Read More
There’s a first time for everything, good things and things we’ rather forget. First kiss, first time to drive a car, first F on a test, first broken heart, first Broadway show, first time up on water skis and so on and so on. Sometimes a first might be a surprise making us say, “Now that’s a first”? Yesterday was … Read More
Sometimes what seems to be a good idea should just stay an idea. When we had the chance to take a family work/vacation to a Colorado ski resort, we jumped. It sounded so romantic … fluttering snow, crackling fire in the ski lodge, and a family activity we could all learn and experience together. I must have seen that in … Read More
“Now if I could just find someone who would make me happy,” she said like she was checking things off her to do list. The frustrated woman pulled me aside at the conference where I was speaking. She looked to be in her mid 40s, so I was shocked when she said, “Today I turn 35.” “Happy Birthday,” I said … Read More
I so agree with what Gilda Radner once said, “I base most of my fashion sense on what doesn’t itch.” I was the little kid who wanted all the tags cut out of clothes because they aggravated the life out of me. I used to say I was picky, but now I prefer to say I’m discriminating. Cotton is my … Read More
When I was in high school there were two types of guys who really aggravated me … cocky, braggers and bullies. Looking back I realize they both were dealing with the same issue, insecurity. The guys who were out to prove they were smart, stud athletes, or just cool made me want to take my brown bag elsewhere in the … Read More
When a group of farmers decided to meet in a dirt lot in the Los Angeles area in the 1930s with their loaded down trucks they probably had no idea what they were starting. A creative way to move produce, dairy and flowers has become an American institution, the local farmers market. I visited one in Richmond yesterday. We passed … Read More