Today is Labor Day, the traditional last day of summer vacation. Though in recent years, as school seemed to begin earlier and earlier in August, the significance of Labor Day has diminished. We all have “back to school” memories. Maybe of our own first days of school—kindergarten, junior high, high […]
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Back To Work Thirty-Five Years Ago: I Couldn’t Have It All
In August 1985, thirty-five years ago this month, I returned to work after my second (and last) maternity leave. I’d left the office unexpectedly in mid-May, a week earlier than anticipated, when my daughter decided to come into the world two and a half weeks early. I enjoyed my first […]
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Guilt in the Time of Pandemic
In this crazy year, I feel guilty for the things I’m doing and also for the things I’m not doing. Guilt, of course, is a good Catholic emotion. Though my non-Catholic friends tell me it’s part of their tradition as well. These days, we’re made to feel blameworthy about everything. […]
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My Screened Porch
In the midst of the pandemic, we are all looking for little moments of joy, for something to take our minds off the horrible statistics and other depressing news stories. I’ve never been an outdoorsy person, but I’ve found that spending time with nature has been a help over the […]
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No More Five-County Days
The Kansas City metropolitan area spans the state line between Kansas and Missouri. Kansas City, Missouri, is larger than Kansas City, Kansas, though both are part of the Kansas City Metropolitan Statistical Area. There are actually fourteen counties in the Kansas City MSA, nine in Missouri and five in Kansas. […]
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Putting a Little Zest in Life
A friend and I recently exchanged emails about cooking. Neither of us is the cook our mothers were, but my friend said she had more time on her hands to cook because of the pandemic. I hate to cook, but I’m desperate for a greater variety of meals. She mentioned […]
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One Year Later: Changes in Our Neighborhood
I’m rushing this post a bit, because we didn’t move into our new home until almost the end of July last year. But we are in the middle of warranty checks on the house (the builder provided a one-year warranty), so I’m thinking about all the changes we’ve seen over […]
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Thursday Is the New Friday . . . If Any Day Is
Friday evening has always been the time I saved for my own enjoyment. All through college and law school, I refused to study on Friday evenings, except during finals week. Middlebury didn’t have much television to offer before the dorms were wired for Internet, but various organizations showed movies for […]
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Blessings and Hope As the Pandemic Rages On
After my rant last week about having to cook, which I admit is a trifling complaint in the face of everything else happening in the world, I decided I needed a countervailing positive post. Because, really, I shouldn’t complain about my life. A few months ago, I posted a list […]
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Drive-In Movies
I’ve probably been to drive-in movies less than ten times in my entire life. But they have made an impression on me. Not for what movies we watched (other than Ghostbusters, I don’t even remember which movies I saw at a drive-in), but because of the experience. My parents took […]
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