Last weekend, our son and his wife came to visit, bringing their two small children. We sat around the dining table, happily chatting about everything and nothing. Eventually, the subject got around to the wee ones’ schooling and the expected level of commitment from parents and grandparents in fund-raising events. Including the dreaded Bake Sale. I […]
Resolutions. Sometimes You Have to Get Creative
Sitting down to write out my New Year’s resolutions for 2016 (which would be more accurately titled “Dumb Ideas I Have No Intentions of Following Through On in This Lifetime”), and it occurred to me that I could just dig out all my lists from the last ten years and copy & paste them, with a small […]
When a Dessert Should Just Be a Dessert
I confess. I have a sweet tooth. I love dessert. In a civilized world, we’d start with dessert and work backwards, finishing our meals with a salad, if we had any room left. Cake with lots of frosting, cookies, brown-betty pies, and brownies with nuts, I love it all. (I gained 65 pounds from a 9-month pregnancy […]
How to Use Your Cell Phone Without Pissing People Off
A radio report the other day stated that 2/3 of all Americans own a Smart phone. And this group was non-discriminatory, including doctors, lawyers, SAHM, children, young, old, rich, poor, and the homeless. Apparently we take our cellular communication very seriously in this country. While I don’t have a problem with the fact that cell […]
Customer Service. You’re Doing it Wrong
A few days ago, during yet another frustrating computer malfunction, I called Dell’s “Award-Winning Service Department” and got Akbar in Sri Lanka, eager to try out his new online diploma in English-as-a-9th-language. He announced that before we could proceed with my questions, he needed to access my account. We spent the next 20 minutes trying […]
Finding the Funny with Guest Blogger Kathy Kate Mayer
Around town, I’m known as the period mom. But getting the ‘tween and teen females in my circle tampon-ready doesn’t have as much to do with swimming, as it does with my own horrifying maxipad childhood, which went something like this: ———————– “You wait here,” I yelled over my shoulder to the cute boy cautiously stepping off Bus #16 […]
Things I Fail At. Every. Single. Time.
I was watching The Voice recently, and I found myself imagining what life would be like for someone with that kind of talent. These people were amazing, and I imagined that the world must be like a nonstop birthday party for the lucky few that could belt out a heart-wrenching rendition of “Endless Love” and turn it into a […]
Becoming a Better Person. This Might Take a While
Like most people, I find myself occasionally taking stock of myself and my life, looking for things I could do better. To become a kinder, healthier, stronger, more financially stable, better educated, more loving wife, mother, and daughter. Whew. Big job. Big. Friends and family can (and often do) cheerfully point out that the majority of my self-improvement […]
Finding the Funny with Guest Blogger Laura Ehlers
The Little White Dress By Laura Ehlers ****WARNING – this installment of Coast of Illinois contains references to female undergarments, and not in that sexy, Fredericks of Hollywood way, but in more of a clinical, listen to your Mother way.******* I bought a sweater dress. A white sweater dress. I am not sure why. I […]
Woman vs. Nature. I’m Going Down
Generally speaking, I love the outdoors. Warm summer temperatures make me want to ride a bike, plant flowers, go for evening “Howdy, Neighbor” walks to wave at all the people we haven’t seen since last summer, and spend long, lazy days in the sun with a fat book. Unfortunately, Mother Nature doesn’t appear to reciprocate my feelings. In fact, […]
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