…To Be Happy

Happy New Year! It’s almost a month into 2017, and granted, I’ve been excited about this year for a while. It’s the 40th anniversary of the year I was born, and even though my birthday is still 11 months away, I’m going to take a cue from one of my 1977-born counterparts and declare a…

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LuLaLa!

Stick around any “mom” group on Facebook, and you’re likely to be inundated by requests to purchase all sorts of random items through some multi-level marketing platform. Pills, teas, skin care products, makeup, scented candles, personalized bags, jewelry, seaweed contraptions to wrap around your belly to lose weight — all are supposed to be LIFE…

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Waxing poetic on August, September

I was born in November and my brother was born in December. My mom still doesn’t know what she was thinking. My birthday marked the midpoint of the month, and a week later, my mom was usually preparing Thanksgiving dinner. A week after that — actually, sometimes days later — my father celebrated his birthday.…

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Exposure makes you cold

As a former full-time newspaper reporter, I’m used to getting paid for my work. My free writing — literally — is done in my head, in a journal/diary or now, a blog. Rarely will I contribute a piece for professional publication unless there is compensation involved. I believe my craft is valuable, and is worthy…

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June report

Not much action for the month worthy of a blog, but I’ve been keeping my writing muscles sharp. (What’s a writing muscle anyway? And why would a muscle be sharp? Bad metaphor there!) I placed pieces in two publications this month. First, the one of which I’m most proud. Seriously, this one probably goes in…

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Smelly little bottoms!

Hi blog fans! All five of you! I said I would try posting twice a week, so I’m about to meet that goal right now, albeit by cheating a little.   Today I’m published on Parent.co with a piece about, well, poop. Read and share far and wide, and have a great Memorial Day weekend!…

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Empty seat, full heart

I know I need to get some original copy in this space, but for now, here’s a look at some of my favorite pieces on parenting and sports. This one is the perfect introductory story… about that time I had tickets to the Big Ten Championship Game, but my son had other plans regarding my…

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