Christmas Eve activity
Lifesource is open for business today, so I'm heading over. They sent me an email saying the holidays are a time when they NEED BLOOD DONATIONS and they hope I'll help. I'm hydrating right at this minute so I can be a good bleeder, if they accept me. I don't always...
Letter to Congress about a Ban on Semi-Automatic Weapons
My sister wrote the following letter to Senator Diane Feinstein of California, but is sending copies to her congressional representatives, too. She gave me permission to send a similar letter to my Illinois reps, copying entire passages from hers, and she encouraged...
Shouldn’t It Be 28 Bells?
I appreciated the moment of silence the country observed this morning as 26 chimes of a bell honored those who were killed last week on the school grounds of Sandy Hook Elementary School. I heard some used the number 27 to include Nancy Lanza, the mother of the...
“Isn’t There Anyone Who Knows What Christmas Is All About?”
[I originally posted this on January 5, 2006 and it's my tradition to re-post it every December.] Here’s my summary of the History Channel's Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas which I find extremely relevant to the annual discussion of the true meaning of...
How To Be Overweight
Previous post on weight and health: Uncomfortable with the new me I'm a small-boned, petite woman who is all of five feet two inches tall. I'm 46 and a half years old. Most of my adult life, my weight has hovered between 120 and 135. With my sweet tooth and use...
Atheist in Support of Christmas
ArkansasMatters.com ran this article on November 19th: "Charlie Brown Christmas Show Causes Church and State Controversy." It reports that a Little Rock church was performing matinees of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" for local schools. The schools sent permission slips...
How Much to Tip? TWENTY Percent
Many people build their careers in the restaurant industry and they're in it for life. They pay their medical bills, rent, mortgage, children's college, etc. with the money they make from bussing tables, serving tables, tending bar, etc. The majority of their income...
I’m Still Writing an Ebook
I'm proud of myself for finishing the first (very) rough draft of my book about what it's been like to own my first dog. I have no delusions about finding an agent, but will publish it myself as an ebook that the whole world can read. If it wants...
2012 National Novel Writing Month Winner!
I just completed the 30-day, 50,000-word NaNoWriMo challenge! I'm so excited. It's over! It's over! Now I order my NaNoWriMo winner's t-shirt and watch tv for a month. (Yes, I'll get back to turning it into a real ebook, but first I take a break from brilliance.)
The Glenwood Bar in Rogers Park and Dogs
Last Saturday at The Glenwood Bar, Santa took photos with dogs to benefit the local Paw-tawattomie Dog Park. I paid $10 for Ozzie’s picture and discovered that The Glenwood Bar allows dogs during the day, off leash and everything. After 8 p.m. it gets too crowded...
American Horror Story: Asylum
I shouldn't like FX's second season of American Horror Story. I'm sensitive to negative portrayals of people with mental illness and can't stand when emotional and personality disorders are associated with violence and horror. But this is a hard show for me to...
NaNoWriMo 2012
National Novel Writing Month 2012 is almost over. This has been my first time doing it and in just a few more days of wild-eyed typing, I'll hit the 50,000-word goal which will make me a winner. What do I win? It's kind of like a marathon: if you complete the...