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DOWNSIZING ADVANTAGE? NO MORE HAUNTED HOUSE

August 16, 2021 by

The downsizing advantage hardly mentioned is losing a sense of place. And it’s a good thing. Move from the house you raised a family in and the reminders stay. The kids’ rooms, the family room, the office room, the dining room, the kitchen, and everything else, stays. The garage, storage spaces, window covering, decks? They […]

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COVID SURRENDER WORKS BEST FOR QUITTERS

August 15, 2021 by

Doing the covid surrender is easy: No vaccine, no mask? No problem. But why not try a little harder? Why not show some willingness to work together? After all, remember when you asked a friend help and they showed up long enough to quit when it got hard? Are you still friends? Do you still […]

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BE PREPARED: IT’S MORE THAN A BOY SCOUT MOTTO WITH THE COVID

August 14, 2021 by

Be prepared! It sounds like a threat to some people. “Prepared for what? What’re you gonna do if I’m not, huh? What?” It sounds like there could be consequences, like, “Be prepared, or else.” “Or else what? You tell me like you know something I don’t know. Yeah, I don’t think so, bub.” While no […]

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COVID PERMISSION SLIP: WHEN THEY MATTER, WHEN THEY DON’T

August 13, 2021 by

A permission slip comes in many forms. A ticket to a show, ID in a liquor store, including a professional license framed and hanging on a doctor’s wall. I think of these things as a comfort. If I’ve paid for a ticket and present it at the door, I’m in. Woo hoo. Do I also […]

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FEELING GOOD? LET’S FIX THAT FOR YOU

August 12, 2021 by

When you’re feeling good, letting the good times roll, don’t you wish it could last longer? Just a little? I do, too. But realistically, a good feeling ought to be breathed in and experienced for what it is, not captured in a jar and put on display. Why not live with expectations things will work […]

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FEELING BAD? THINK OF OTHERS WHILE YOU SUFFER

August 11, 2021 by

Feeling bad, as if it’s not enough, comes with extras, like those trying to help you feel better. Think of them while you’re in the throes of misery. Whether you know it or not, your suffering is their suffering. They feel better when you feel better. This came up at a recent gathering of some […]

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LOVED ONES FOR A LIFETIME, AND MORE

August 10, 2021 by

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 […]

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NEW RIVALRY: HAWKS VIEW WINERY vs TAPPHORIA TAP HOUSE

August 9, 2021 by

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 […]

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WHY SAD ENDINGS RUIN LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER

August 8, 2021 by

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 […]

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HOLDING GRUDGES TAKES A SPECIAL KIND OF STRENGTH

August 7, 2021 by

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 […]

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