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LOVED ONES FOR A LIFETIME, AND MORE

Our loved ones leave a mark that doesn’t wash off. After reading about a family losing a son twenty years ago in the World Trade Center, a lifetime doesn’t seem long enough to spend together. From one stage of life to the next, parents stand as witness to their contribution to the human race. The […]

NEW RIVALRY: HAWKS VIEW WINERY vs TAPPHORIA TAP HOUSE

My new rivalry is like my usual rivalry: geographically close and deserving of more research. Hawks View Winery is my new classroom. The lesson begins with six wine tastings from white to red. What goes best with six swigs of Oregon wine? A flatbread plate. My new couple’s membership compliments a single membership in Tapphoria’s […]

WHY SAD ENDINGS RUIN LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER

Sad endings of books and movies leave time for reflection and hope: I reflect on why I ever started the story and hope it never happens again. It always happens again, but, as a mature adult, I feel the possibility of emotional growth from sad endings. Experience says we all grow. ‘Grow what’ is the […]

HOLDING GRUDGES TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF STRENGTH

Holding grudges is a time honored tradition between races, religions, nations, and families. “We don’t like them.” “Why don’t we like them?” “Why would we?” This exchange gets played out between young and old, men and women, brothers and sisters. Eventually holding grudges turns into something completely different than how it started because no one […]

CANNABIS BUSINESS AND THE PORCH PARTY REUNION

The cannabis business hit high gear in Oklahoma. Cheap land, friendly laws, and relaxed enforcement, combine to make the Sooner State a national leader in cannabis production. Investors and workers from other states come to Oklahoma for weed work, and it’s booming. Call it a marijuana land rush.

BEGIN AGAIN TO AVOID PERMANENT QUITTER ATTITUDE

Failure awaits those who forget to begin again. It’s one thing to walk away from mistakes, and only one way to make it better. You need to look at what happened, and begin again. Make a new mistake, learn from the process and fail better. I can’t recommend it as an every day thing like […]

UPDATED LIFE: STARTING SOMETHING NEW TO FINISH

An updated life, from new paint, new flowers, to new shoes, asks a question: What was wrong with the old life? Like there had to be something wrong to change things? Yes, that’s usually a good reason, but so is getting a different angle. Update, refresh, begin again. Call it one of those, add a […]

BREAKING DOWN THE STEPS FOR AN EMBRACEABLE FUTURE TO SNUGGLE

Breaking down anything to its basics is harder if you’ve never done it before. No matter how careful and cautious you are to include everything important, there’s always something missing. It’s like younger people breaking down the aging process. The only thing missing there is the age part, but that doesn’t stop anyone. I read […]

HEALTH ADVICE STARTS WITH TRUSTING THE SOURCE

When health advice comes from questionable characters, is it really advice to follow? It’s not health advice when it comes from people with agendas, people courting voters, or people seeking some kind of personal affirmation. If Reverend Bob decides Sunday is the day to go off on the congregation about covid masks, covid vaccines, and […]

MARRYING KIND? HOW TO TELL THE DIFFERENCE

Being the marrying kind takes practice. Eventually things work themselves out. From the relationship vault: A few weeks into a sizzling new romance, Lovey and I were in my Lovejoy apartment late one night when the building buzzer started and wouldn’t stop. I got up and pushed the front door button. After all, the place […]