As a little girl, I had horrible ear infections.  They would usually start with a normal cold and before you knew it, I couldn’t hear, and then debilitating pain.  They made me unable to concentrate, barely able to have a conversation, and just praying for relief. As a child of the 70’s, this ear pain would get me straight to the doctor.  The doctor’s office was full of children with different ailments, and the large room was divided by an imaginary boundary of “sick children

I’m 42 years old.  It’s not that I turned 42 today or anything, but on this Monday immediately following Daylight Savings Time adjustments, I am reminded that I am 42.  There’s a certain comfort that I have in my own skin now.  A certain understanding of my body that has been a gift with age.  I know that while tropical weather makes for great vacations, it actually turns my hair into something that resembles 90’s Metal Band hair.  I know that when I see a really cute pair of

There was a time not so long ago when I lived in a house that was constantly under various stages of construction. Sometimes there was a necessary home repair, and sometimes there was a new project. It seemed that there was always a slight haze of drywall dust in the air and an orange five gallon bucket full of stuff I might need sitting in the corner. There were putty knives, hammers, screw drivers, nails, screws, box cutters, electric drills, googles, masks…almost anythi

Raising two girls kept my house full of action, unexpected outbursts of Disney Princess songs, and what I have lovingly named “estrogen grenades.” There was always a faint smell of the complete inventory of Bath and Body Works, hair ties randomly found in every room and an odd amount of glitter that would hang in the air for years, only to be found at odd times in very odd places. My girls each had their own rooms and shortly after we moved in they decided to decorate and p

When I was a little girl my mom and her siblings would all bring their families together for holidays.  We’re talking Christmas, New Year’s, Memorial Day, 4th of July…you name it.  There were 6 siblings including my mom and, we would gather at someone’s house, have a potluck that looked like a grocery store exploded, and eat and laugh and enjoy being together.  My grandfather, the patriarch of the family, had 5 strong independent girls, but each of them placated him in his pr

One day at the ripe mature age of 17, I was running around with my friends.  There was this special place tucked back in the woods where you could cliff dive into the lake below.  With great bravado, I put on my swimsuit, hiked up to the top of the cliff and tamed my 1990’s style hairdo into a ponytail.  I was ready.  As I looked over the edge I couldn’t breathe.  It seemed to be 100’s of feet down, I couldn’t tell how deep the water was, and I wasn’t sure how exactly to jump

It was a surprise being a mom at the age of 20. Being a mom wasn’t a “party” kind of surprise, I always knew I wanted to be a mom, but being a mom while I wasn’t through college and didn’t have health insurance…SURPRISE!!! After 10 hours of trying to have a Wonder Woman labor, I found myself lying in a hospital bed holding a tiny baby being called “Mom.” Overwhelmed by the thoughts and feelings I was having, accepting that I was responsible for a life, I found myself also

It’s not that I planned on being pregnant at 19. I mean don’t get me wrong I wasn’t an “afterschool special” or anything. I was married and I eventually wanted kids, it just happened way before I was ready. As I struggled through diapers and breast-feeding and formula I soon realize that it wasn’t like it looked in the brochure. Every milestone came after much anticipation and provided instant relief of “Whew! Thank God I didn’t screw that up.” The time eventually came to sta

When I was a kid we would often spend holidays with my extended family. Not just Thanksgiving and Christmas, (although those were some of the best) but also Labor Day, Memorial Day and when pushed…Flag Day. My mom had 4 sisters and a brother and between all of them they had tons of kids, so when we all descended on my grandparents’ house it was like locusts. There was chatter and noise, and tons of hustle and bustle preparing food and allowing my mom and her siblings to catch

I grew up in a household with a charismatic, charming, entertaining brother who had a moral opposition to dead air space. He was infectiously fun, quite the contrast to my dark and serious personality, and would commandeer a room with his mere presence. His charisma did not allow me to have much of a chance to…well…talk. When I was 8 years old, I decided that I would start to help my mom make dinner. Helping my mom allowed me to learn to cook, but more importantly, it gave m

Smart phones have changed our lives. I mean sure, they allow us to carry around maps, an encyclopedia, a bible, a camera, news, weather, and if we so desire, the ability to play Tetris at stop lights. (But don’t do that…it’s illegal.) Smart phones let us stay in contact with everyone by text message, when all else fails an actual phone call, and who can forget the opportunities that smart phones provide to paint an exasperated picture of happiness on social media. Smart phon

As my baby approaches a few of these milestones, I find myself thinking about the skills, the traits and the flaws that I have instilled in my children. As I rapidly become slingshotted into empty nest syndrome, I can’t help but think that all these years of parenting have shown my child the best and worst of me, and now, they are going to carry it with them. Today at church I heard a saying that I haven’t heard in awhile.  “The nut doesn’t fall far from the tree.”  So true,

When my mom discovered that there was writing on the belt she asked me if I had done it, and with a stone cold face…I lied. I figured if I lied I could avoid the wrath on ruining a logo branded elastic belt. I told my mom that the writing must have been there when we bought it. (Because of course all elastic belts come with 5 year old crayola marker writing!!!) Evidently my full proof plan didn’t work. I was caught. Somehow my mom used her unbelievable dectective skills

The other day at work during a bout of snowy Ohio weather, I found myself at work alone. The ladies I work with were all stuck in traffic, and so when the office opened, it was just me and one doctor. The first patient of the day slowly made her way up to the window. She quietly gave me her name and the very charming woman, who must have been around 80 years old, completed the check in process. Her husband was scheduled for an appointment as well, so I asked her where he

I’ve been blogging for around a year and a half. It’s been a truly crazy year and a half too. Time full of confusion, elation, sadness, pure joy, romance, loneliness, spiritual growth, and so many life lessons I can’t begin to even name them. During that time I have gained so much insight into who I am and what I believe. I have refined the things I am looking for and have a new found appreciation for when I find something that meets my needs. I have become more in tune

I’m a 38 (almost 39, but we aren’t talking about that) year old single mother of one grown child and one child that is as close to grown as you can get. I have adult children. When I tell people that I have adult children they look at me with either the side head tilt of sympathy because they think I qualified for a starring role in an after school special about ten year olds giving birth, or with the jaw dropping, eyes bugging out of their heads disbelief. My appearance d

Today my hometown lost a hero of sorts.  Not a hero with a cape and super powers, but a hero filled with courage, strength, and vibrant tenacity.  Today my hometown lost an educator that changed the lives of an entire community.  While the accolades of his performance and recognitions of his phenomenal heartfelt work are seen throughout our town, I can’t help but wonder what made this man extraordinary. I’ve heard stories upon stories of what Stephen Gussler accomplished on t

In high school there was a dreaded assignment that used to assassinate any chance of actual academic advancement. The assignment was simply known as the “group project”. It turns out that being assigned to work with people that you wouldn’t offer a ride in the rain, let alone share a lunch table with, doesn’t usually yield itself to positive academic experiences. As a young teenager I learned two very important lessons. #1 I don’t play well with others. And #2 I can fake

I went to a New Year’s Eve party this year. It was an adult only, open bar party. It was full of loud music, bad food and free drinks. Also full of mostly kids who haven’t been 21 for as long as I’ve had the bagels in my freezer. When we first got there I said, “Do you feel like you just walked into the senior prom?” Lots and lots of twenty somethings drinking and enjoying the night. As I watched them, I couldn’t help but think that these kids are a bunch of idiots. T