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Leaves Turning 80: New Season, Old Skin, and an Organized Dental Office
My before-and-after title works better if you’re a Wheel of Fortune fan, I know. Lucky for me, my dad is a lifer. I grew up with the sound of an audience clapping and the tick, tick, ticking wheel coming from my parents’ room… Every. Single. Week night. The memory sits permanently nestled in my hippocampus with no plans of vacating the premises. Like, ever. Faithful as a sunset, the 7:00 show always caused a tug in my soul. Do homework or solve a puzzle with my dad? I didn’t love the show, per se, but the before-and-after category always sucked me in. See what I’m doing here? Turning leaves, Vanna…
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Sunday Night Sadness: 8 Ways I Prepare to Beat the Monday Morning Blues
I assumed it was just me. Then a friend commented how she doesn’t enjoy Sunday evenings because it’s like the fun party she knows is coming to an end. Her mind vacillates between enjoying the evening and dreading the next morning filled with work, chores, errands, and crazy. Coming in the door from church always gets my brain playing tug-o-war too. But I get giddy when I remember how Sunday is the only day of the week I read, watch something, and nap with zero guilt. If that sounds impossible to implement in your life, believe me… I wasn’t always this way. For a Type-A human with a strong “keep…
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Cooking Tips & Tricks from My Classically-Trained Le Cordon Bleu Neighbor Chef
In 2002 I spent my days chasing a toddler while my friend Jen chased a dream to culinary school. Fresh out of high school, she donned a white coat, white skull cap, and jumped into chef training at none other than Le Cordon Bleu. Eighteen months later, after cuts, burns and hundreds of food victories, she received an Associate of Occupational Studies degree in culinary arts. I didn’t know her back then, but since we currently live eleven feet apart (yes, I measured… at night… like a creeper), I stuffed my intimidation and decided to find out more. She invited me over on birthday cupcake day and we had a…
