When a sentence has two parts—the first part positive and the second part negative—the conjunction makes a big difference in how the complete sentence is received. “You played that song really well, but this note should be two beats.” “You played that song really well, and this note should be two beats.” “You played that … Read more
A friend’s father-in-law is in his final hours. I would not text her right now to complain about … anything. Thinking about that led me to realize that perhaps people get situations confused. Or just aren’t able to find out what direction to go in other difficult situations. When I was first diagnosed with cancer, … Read more
I found a good reminder for myself. Something that I was doing that I shared with my online world a few years ago that maybe will help you, too. Here’s the context: I was working part time, teaching band. The schedule was brutal, many of the classes were brutal, and there was very little professional … Read more
Apologies. We tend not to be good at them. We tend to force children to mutter them insincerely. We get in the habit of muttering them insincerely, if we mutter them at all. The first place I heard an excellent, clear explanation of what an apology should be was in Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture at … Read more
With most things, there’s a fine line between “not hardcore” and “too many excuses.” Setting a reasonable, realistic goal is critical in walking this line. For most people most of the time, “hardcore” is not the way to go. It’s not sustainable. If you’re in a situation where it’s critical to be all in and … Read more
We know that we shouldn’t eat unless we’re hungry (a few health issues aside–there’s always an exception, isn’t there?). All of the ins and outs of that is another post for another day. But when should we stop eating? It’s a national pastime to eat until it hurts. We plan out which pants to wear … Read more
Bentonite clay is a powder, made from volcanic ash. (I buy mine from Mountain Rose Herbs, but it’s available online in a bunch of places. Link is not affiliate.) It is negatively charged and bonds easily with positively charged compounds, which, as it turns out, makes it useful for a variety of health applications. What … Read more
June 15, 2000 Dear 35-year-old Heat, I’ve finally admitted to myself something that I’ve been denying or avoiding for a long time: I’m fat, and I’m rapidly getting fatter. I’m 70 pounds heavier than I was when I graduated high school just 7 years ago. I could blame it on genetics, Heat. Mom is fat. … Read more
In blog writing, I have a few rules I’ve set for myself. Always proofread at least twice (once immediately and once after walking away, ideally for a day, but an hour will do in a pinch). Don’t share identifying information about people or share other people’s stories that aren’t mine to tell (unless I have … Read more
Earlier this week, The Climbing Daddy and I tried a new thing. We ordered groceries online and picked them up. We knew there would be disposable bags (we use reusable) but the amount of unnecessary packaging convinced us that, except in rare circumstances, we’re not going to use this service again. Set the stage: 12 … Read more