If This Couch Could Speak

Remembering Miss Langs

2016-10-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

You never forget your kindergarten teacher. And I will never forget my kids' kindergarten teacher, for they all had the same one, making Miss Blythe Langs a very special person to our family. We first met her in 2008 when Julia entered Briarwood Elementary School just down the street from our house. We loved our firstborn's experience with Miss Langs so much that we requested

Terror in the Mountain

2015-11-07T20:19:00.001-08:00

We were able to swing a trip to Disneyland on the cheap in September... where I faced a life-long fear. In the 70's, a commercial aired advertising that something had gotten in to the Matterhorn at Disneyland. The announcer had an eerie voice and the shot was as if you were on a bobsled slowly approaching something that had glowing red eyes. Then, a roar

Chairs On the Freeway

2015-02-01T23:08:00.001-08:00

I am a counselor. My office is a safe place for the people who come for help. They are free to share from the depths of their soul. Sometimes that sharing weighs heavy on my heart. I hurt because they hurt. And then there are the victories, the breakthroughs, the transformations I get to witness because of my line of work. The last couple weeks has been a mix of

Mickey Lost His Leg and Why That's Okay

2014-11-29T19:18:00.001-08:00

The day after Thanksgiving, I pulled out the Christmas decoration boxes and started to unwrap the ornaments. Annually opening the tissue paper reveals treasures that come with a lot of memories we've collected over the years. One very sentimental ornament is Mickey and Minnie Mouse ice skating. In 1996, Marty and I were engaged and we took a trip with another couple to

Happiness Is...

2014-07-23T21:37:00.001-07:00

I realized I had a lot of anxiety today. Sheesh! The WORLD seems to be having an anxiety attack right now. So much turmoil and unrest. I needed a pick-me-up. On my desk sits a first edition of the bestselling book Happiness is a Warm Puppy by Charles Shulz. I consulted this deeply philosophical work for some cheer tonight. "Happiness is sleeping in your own bed."

Smuggler's Blues

2014-07-18T22:42:00.000-07:00

This one is a tad hard for me because its a little embarrassing. A year ago this month, Marty and I were at a minister's retreat home. Beautiful grounds up in Taylorsville, CA surrounded by mountains. Picturesque little home in the style of a bed and breakfast. Several pastors and spouses occupying the residence for some time of refreshing and decompressing. We had called

Dad: Best Name Ever

2014-06-14T15:29:00.001-07:00

I've been called a lot of things, especially growing up with the last name "Couch." Shane Sofa, Shane Loveseat, Armchair, Hide-a-bed... I've heard them all. And "Shane" rhymes with approximately five thousand, four hundred and seventy three other words in the English language. Someone from my childhood used to chant, "Shane McBain, sleeps in the rain, and is a pain, and has no

Not a Sunshine Day

2014-06-02T14:26:00.000-07:00

Someone I grew up with passed away today. She has always been there as long as I can remember. I'd come home after school and spend an hour with her each weekday. She was a big part of my childhood. Her name was Ann, but most people knew her as "Alice." Alice Nelson, live-in housekeeper, girlfriend to Sam, surrogate parent to the Brady 6, friend to all.

A Stroll Down Jelly Bean Lane

2014-04-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

It starts in September and goes all the way through April. Candy season. And I was a fan. From that first fun size chocolate bar to that last jelly bean purchased for 50% off after Easter. And as long as there was any holiday sugar left in the clearance shopping cart at Safeway, I would be a consumer. Here it is, April, and Target is filled with baskets and bunnies..

The Color Black Let Me Down

2013-12-30T15:03:00.001-08:00

I've heard it said that black was a slimming color. In the photo above, I beat the crud out of that theory (faces were blurred to protect the innocent and keep them from looking skinnier than me). When I first saw that picture on facebook, was I: a) horrified, b) mortified, c) shocked, d) sad, or e) all of the above? Answer: e, f and g! I have dubbed it "worst pic ever."

Julia's Birthday Buddy

2013-12-27T11:31:00.001-08:00

Our former church, Abundant Life Assembly of God in Cupertino, CA is full of good people. One fellow is named Jim. He and Julia share the same birthday, so he is Julia's "Birthday Buddy." His "buddy-ness," however, goes beyond just sharing the date. When he was growing up, he felt like his birthday was overshadowed by Christmas and there was never really a

Ode to K-Mart

2013-12-16T22:45:00.001-08:00

There's an off-beat song on my Christmas playlist called, "Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance" by Sufjan Stevens. Fun lyrics in it, including, "Your sisters' bangs, she cut 'em herself," and "K-Mart is closed." Ella, my 9 year old, heard that line and said "What's 'K-Mart'?" Is this really my child? How could one of my offspring not be familiar with a store I seemed to

Thankful That I Am More Powerful Than a Psycho Donut

2013-11-25T17:03:00.002-08:00

I try to express thanksgiving to God every day of my life, and this season is a great reminder to offer forth even more gratitude. It goes without saying, I'm thankful for my wife, my kids, my home, my salvation... but this year I am particularly thankful for my recovery around food addiction and overeating. It was nearly 12 months ago I walked into a

Dear, Julia

2013-11-22T09:54:00.001-08:00