tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51871998596172116702025-12-04T11:32:40.300-08:00"Experience is not what happens to you. It's what you do with what happens to you." -Aldous HuxleyIn Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.comBlogger182125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-20651989309424806922025-01-20T11:24:00.000-08:002025-01-20T11:24:53.393-08:00

 It's 10:30 in the morning on either MLK Jr Day or Inauguration Day.  Whichever you are celebrating.It's 10:30 in the morning.  And already an Executive Order has come down, targeting someone I hold most dear.It's 10:30 in the morning. And the anxiety-reducing deep breaths have already begun.Let me start by saying that if you are someone who is tempted to tell me that it won't be

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-51679892794557911452022-08-08T06:57:00.001-07:002022-08-08T06:57:45.666-07:00

 HIGHLIGHTEDWithout a strong sense of love for yourself, you may experience:AnxietyDefensivenessDepressionInsecurityMaterialismShameUnhealthy CopingWITH a strong sense of love for yourself, you may benefit from gains in:BelongingConfidenceEmpowermentHappinessLoveMotivationRelationship QualitySelf-CarePhysical HealthWHAT LOVE ISN'TENTITLEMENT: Entitlement should not be confused with the idea

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-54060212638853277612022-08-07T07:51:00.003-07:002022-08-07T07:51:59.697-07:00

 Highlighted"self-love -- The active practice of accepting, caring for, and encouraging oneself.""Self-love is an intentional practice to learn and cultivate... It is the opportunity to see yourself completely, to recognize and value your strengths and weaknesses... it is critical to acknowledge your imperfections in order to nurture personal growth.""Self-love is not a summit to conquer...

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-58892924004765358632021-10-25T11:18:00.004-07:002021-10-25T11:18:44.193-07:00

When one of my girls was in high school, we took this DBT class together in conjunction with her therapy. I don't know how much she got out of it, but I got a lot! One of the parts that I think about frequently was this section where we were talking about Distress Tolerance -- what to do when you're upset.  And there were these three pages with ideas on how to Distract yourself, how to

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-34406368636235039452021-10-24T11:08:00.004-07:002021-10-24T11:08:56.522-07:00

*tap tap* Is this thing on?  I thought I'd see if this place still works. I've been moving into my own office/reading/writing space, and I'd like to get back into writing again. Don't expect anything fancy... probably just some prompts out of my writing jar to start. But I feel good when I'm expressing myself more. I can't promise that you'll always like what I have to say! But it would feel

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-57802610877442499602021-03-03T18:14:00.000-08:002021-03-03T18:14:23.425-08:00

 It’s been a year this week since things shut down.  March 4, 2020 was our last family meal out to celebrate the twins’ 20th birthday. Actually, there is an awful lot that can happen and change in a year that often felt like a lot of nothing. We graduated two kids from high school. We started, stopped, and changed course with educational plans more than a few times. One kid moved home

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-50429203333395115352020-11-06T09:28:00.002-08:002020-11-06T09:28:49.839-08:00

Her fingers flew across the keys.Chapter 49Jane blinked quickly as she emerged from the innards of the mountain into the bright sun. How long had she been inside? How long had they all been inside?Her friends followed her out, all blinking the same.  Her friends.  She laughed a little at that thought. They were such a ragtag bunch. Humans and elves and dwarves and dryads and... just all

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-90191353139351492302020-10-20T15:02:00.001-07:002020-10-20T15:02:35.649-07:00

 I am obsessed with these pictures.The picture on the left is from 2004. I was 28 years old. We lived in Southern California, in a house just far enough from our friends to be lonely -- and way far from our families. My husband worked a lot -- and a good 60 minute commute away -- and I was home with our daughters -- two delayed 4 year olds and a 3-year-old. I was not doing well.It was during

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-27494960458594482972020-09-16T12:26:00.002-07:002020-09-16T12:26:52.153-07:00

There are certain times in my life that I hold in my memory with the utmost care and tenderness. They are precious beautiful times that I associate with golden periods of my life -- and mostly center around friendships from earlier times in my life that were grounded in youth and the process of maturing and faith and ministry.One of these is time we spent in California -- especially the

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-18657080730478590342020-09-08T09:14:00.003-07:002020-09-08T09:14:52.747-07:00

 We were at a brewery a few weeks ago. There was this lady who clearly frequented regularly and felt like she thought that she owned the place. Not in a "you're in my seat" sort of way -- but more like "Let me tell you everything you didn't ask about and try to sell you on its glory." We found her to be annoying.I think that I may have especially found her annoying because - well - I watched

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-9256009690865810922020-09-06T09:14:00.001-07:002020-09-06T09:14:09.970-07:00

 The fog lingers in the trees over the neighborhood swamp this morning, taking its time burning off before the summer day begins. It will burn off, but it's a reminder that a new season is making its way.Spring was achingly hard this year. Summer as comfortable and lazy, as summer should be. What might Autumn have in store? What might I have in store for Autumn?At WW, we provide a host

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-34926900473003613262020-08-17T16:59:00.004-07:002020-08-17T16:59:32.345-07:00

 I think that, in order for this to really make sense, you have to know two things about me.First, I think you need to know that I didn't grow up in the church. God was a choice I made as a teenager, but I attended a youth group where the other kids all felt like they had. -- Or at least that's how it seemed to me. One of the things they did was participate in the Bible Bowl at the North

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-19255139979731011292020-06-06T11:09:00.000-07:002020-06-06T11:09:26.664-07:00

While the atmosphere outside my home has been chaotic this week, we have actually enjoyed a pretty calm week inside of it. It felt like a week of rest between Phase 2 and Phase 3 of COVID QUARANTINE YEAR.Phase 2 hasn't been great, I'll be honest. We had a BIG PARENTING THING with one of our kids that was very traumatic... and then another kid got sick, and she's the grocery store worker so we

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-79067434400908524372020-06-02T07:56:00.000-07:002020-06-02T07:58:02.335-07:00

I was home in Oregon a couple summers ago to visit when my dad asked me if I'd be able to take him to the hospital the next morning for a routine test.  "Sure," I told him. Then, he told me I had to pick him up at 5am.  ALWAYS ask for the details first, kids. I arrived to pick him up the next morning and watched with concern as I realized how much of a toll just walking to the

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-49371328923906305352020-05-23T16:29:00.001-07:002020-05-23T16:34:21.384-07:00

The first year that I taught my child to drive was the year that I really learned to fear for my life. She was nervous about the cars driving toward her, and so she hugged the right side of the lane.  And  when I say "hugged the right side of the lane," I really mean "made the blackberry bushes fear for their very lives." I would sit in the passenger seat, my hand clutching the

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-32024847337580548512020-04-18T18:40:00.000-07:002020-04-18T18:40:38.779-07:00

Some weeks ago -- I can't really say how many, I can't remember when this all started --, my biggest questions were "Where am I going in my job?" ...  "What are my husband and I going to do after the kids all fly away?" ... "How are we going to get the kids to all fly away?"... And those are still my biggest questions... Only now they're joined by questions like "Have I taken more than one

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-84872287724382719802020-01-15T11:22:00.001-08:002020-01-15T11:22:52.994-08:00

I facebook-stalked you today. You and I haven't spoken for a long time. There was once ugliness between us -- hostilities we could forgive but not quite forget -- and I think we both just stopped trying and went our separate ways. Sometimes that makes me sad -- we once meant a lot to each other. But, time and life moves on, and if I'm honest, I don't spend much time dwelling on it anymore. We

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-57644148610223233912020-01-10T14:24:00.000-08:002020-01-10T14:24:24.981-08:00

It's not that I had big plans for the first weeks of January -- I have purposely kept my "resolutions" small. It's just that my plans didn't involve staying at home, postponing all my little goals, and drinking my weight in hot liquids daily. My job requires me to talk a lot -- so when I get sick enough that I lose my voice, it's a problem and  requires a strict slowdown.  So, this

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-79720299045665838482019-08-09T17:12:00.000-07:002019-08-09T17:12:04.567-07:00

I wasn't looking --  for a job.  My girls were in junior high -- I was happy as a SAHM.  I wasn't in the market.  Someday, maybe.  It just wasn't in my needs for "right now." But I had a persistent mentor, and one thing led to another... and then I had a job.  Which soon led into a different role. and honestly, I thought they would have fired me by now.  At

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-45617059025248548602019-06-16T14:55:00.001-07:002019-06-16T14:55:07.030-07:00

One of the best things about going to the annual local craft beer festival with my husband is the food trucks. More specifically, the tamale food truck. It's hard to find good tamales in Washington...   But the tamale food truck makes some really good ones, and takes me back to when we lived in Southern California and my favorite thing about where we lived. The Tamale Guy Hunt. We

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-66142294388204204422019-05-10T07:26:00.000-07:002019-05-10T07:26:37.622-07:00

I said the other day that I've been forced to start arising for the day at 5am because my dog has to go outside. What I didn't say is that I don't mind that much. I sort of like having a couple hours in the morning to myself before everyone gets out of bed. I feed all 97 of our pets. I have the time to get a cup of coffee and quietly sip it while I wake up -- without having to talk to anyone.&

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-16923093605054753242019-05-09T13:30:00.000-07:002019-05-09T13:30:35.336-07:00

At the beginning of the year, I reflected a lot on the topics that I have felt the most drawn to writing about over the past almost-ten years -- and I sort of revisited them in 2019 versions. I tried to think about where I have been and where I am now -- and how my thoughts have changed and evolved -- or even stayed steady -- in that time. I thought about how I've changed and grown, and where I

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-58351348807503431472019-05-08T07:06:00.001-07:002019-05-08T07:06:30.967-07:00

So, basically, I sleep like an old lady now. The problem isn't really me. The problem is my dog, who I love and adore. Last year, when my kids were all in high school like normal people, I got up at about 5:30 every morning to get them ready for school. So, Lexie (the dog) learned that 5:30 am was breakfast time. This year, all my kids are in some form of alternative schooling and they no

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-14221501643195232832019-05-07T09:12:00.001-07:002019-05-07T09:12:36.625-07:00

I began last year, after reading a lot of Brene Brown, with a desire for 2018 to be my year of authenticity.  I wanted to be braver. I wanted to be more honest. I wanted to be less afraid of showing people who I was. I thought that meant being more vocal about it all. I thought it meant shaking off shackles I had put on myself. I thought it meant feeling free to walk my own road without

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5187199859617211670.post-54347013923190791932019-05-06T06:47:00.000-07:002019-05-06T06:47:12.469-07:00

I've thought a lot over the past year about uncomfortable emotions. Anger, hurt, jealousy, sadness, grief.  Even happiness and joy sometimes.  I think we... or at least I... have a comfort with emotions that lie within the acceptable status quo. I kind of think of it as a loose sine curve that doesn't deviate very far up or down from the axis.  Anything that lies within that

In Which We Start Anewhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01575301575612665739noreply@blogger.com0