I live in the country, surrounded by farm animals and miles of corn and soybeans. I lived in New York City for close to a decade. My point being – I have not lived an isolated life – I’ve been around. I didn’t think there was much left on U.S. soil that could surprise me! And then my family attended our first rodeo. Read More...

I hate change. First of all, it’s work. You have to actually think about what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and how you’re going to pull it off. It’s much easier to just maintain the old comfortable status quo, regardless of the dangers. However, positive change is always worth the effort and the arguments. And sometimes, it’s even tasty! Read More...

Summer in Maryland can best be described with three words: Hot, Humid and Colorful. We may be wilting from the heat during the day and battling King Kong mosquitoes at night – but we’re laughing through the haze as we devour the local flavor. Summer has yet again blessed us with a cornucopia of vibrant, savory foods from local farmers. Read More...

Do you have a cherished childhood place? A magical spot that blends the smells, tastes, sounds and adventures of your youth into a perfect pie of memories, fantasies and larger than life experiences? I do. My memories revolve around the private community of Hollywood Beach – six miles from the historic town of Chesapeake City, Maryland. Read More...

Everyone has their own model of happiness and achievement. Some envision a happy little boat sailing across a calm sea. There are occasional squalls and the isolated shark, but their goal is the return to serenity, to calm. Read More...

I don’t always take good care of myself. I get caught up in the 900 daily things I HAVE to do – and I forget to make time for ME! You probably do the same thing. It’s part of being a woman, we tend to put everyone and everything ahead of ourselves. And then something wonderful happens, and we’re reminded how much we need to be nourished and nurtured, too. Read More...

We are in the Wal-Mart era of history: buy cheaply, dispose eagerly, repeat. We are the quintessential consumer – we consume. Literally, we devour, we eat up, we waste. In fact, the average American throws away 600 times his/her adult body weight. That means each of us leave behind over 100,000 pounds of garbage. That’s a scary number, and a disgusting legacy. Read More...

My vegetable garden is growing! {now watch the crazy lady dance wildly with joy!} It’s a new “first” in my life. I have actually dug and planted a garden AND I haven’t killed anything! No blossoms, yet – so I have yet to figure out the intricacies of zucchini sex. Read More...

Ah! There’s nothing like those first seventy plus degree days after a windy, chilly winter! It’s time to rip off the bulky sweaters, put away the fleece lined shoes, pack up the quilts – and go shopping! Eagerly we speed-walk through the crowded store until we spy our destination – summer clothes! Read More...

Earth Day began 38 years ago, as a series of grassroot “teach-ins” about conservation and pollution. It’s a time to re-dedicate ourselves to honoring, protecting and preserving the earth that nourishes us. It’s also my birthday (I’m a wee bit older than Earth Day) and I always enjoy sharing my special day with Mother Earth! Read More...

You know you’ve adapted to life in the country when you step off of your back porch and onto a small snake – and your heart continues to beat! In fact, after the initial gasp of surprise, you turn it into a learning experience and call the kids out to see – then carry the snake out to the field, in the hopes that the rye grass will protect the poor baby from predators! Read More...

Ah, spring! There’s nothing like taking that first cup of coffee outside into the dewy morn and reveling in the spirited songs of the birds, the low hoot of an owl, and the brightness of daffodils and tulips to make you long for….chickens! Read More...

According to the calendar – it’s Spring! Unfortunately, I’m still hiding under three layers of clothes, sipping hot tea and fervently hoping the woodpile holds out. I am SO ready for Spring! Balmy days, birds, blossoms and breezes! Read More...

Donna Reed, Carol Brady, June Cleaver and my mother had something in common – immaculate homes. And then there’s me. Read More...

It’s hard work, being a womyn today. We have so much to juggle, to plan for, to achieve. Read More...

I believe the Universe tests us….for strength of belief, determination, resourcefulness and patience. It’s the Universe’s way to determine if we really mean what we say – if we are actually growing into the person we’re supposed to be – or if it’s all lip service.
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Valentine’s Day and I have a strange history. I was single – and alone – for a long, long. LONG time. Think eons. During this time – I detested Valentine’s Day. The lines of goofy-looking males lined up to purchase a cheesy pink bear and a single rose at the 7-11 always had me rolling my eyes in caustic humor. Deeper was the feeling that these womyn had something I didn’t, that they inspired such – devotion – from their mates.
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It is – as the song goes – the bleak mid-winter. There’s no green, no new life, no rainbows. There’s cold, there’s wind…..and there’s the thousand and one things to do every day so that our lives function. How easy it is to get caught up in the perpetual to-do list, and never stop and reflect on the actual moments that make up our lives.
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In my next life – I want to be a better juggler. Seriously – I suck. There are SO many things I want and need to do each day – I end up getting that “deer in the headlights” look and freeze with indecision. I bowled the same way – whenever I got a split my bowling ball ended up going right down the middle – I just couldn’t choose which pin to go after, I wanted them both! (which may be why I gave up bowling about 20 years ago). Read More...

I have always been drawn to the company of creative, independent womyn. But I have always had difficulty getting to know – and getting known – by these womyn. I don’t make friends easily – it takes quite a long time for me to get beyond the superficial. Let’s face it – I suck at small talk. I have always been the wall flower at group events. Read More...

I am a creative, artistic womyn. I design amazing quilts, orchestrate awesome paint schemes, and develop riveting fictional plots. I am constantly creating. Read More...

There’s something magical about rainbows. They are elusive, intangible, and infinitely beautiful. One would expect to find such mystical creations only in paradise – the finishing touch of perfection. But rainbows weren’t intended for perfect days. Read More...

I have always referred to myself as "multi-talented". Read More...

For those of you who would rather read a good book than leave the house - take note! We, the famous (infamous?) Bubble Family, survived AND enjoyed our first camping trip! No men - just me and my good fried T - who doesn't let Stage IV breast cancer slow her down. Oh yeah - and our collective five children. (It seems more like ten, to be honest)
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I was always tall and thin. Used to hear the jokes, growing up....."Turn her sideways and she disappears" and "What sticks out further, her nose or her chest???" Read More...

Sometimes my life feels like an "I Love Lucy" show. You know, where whatever CAN go wrong - WILL! Read More...

The daughter of a country preacher and a strong-minded woman, the Un-Runner was raised to fit in, to do what she was told, and to NEVER make waves. She excelled at it - reveling in the adoring pats that proclaimed her a "good girl". After decades of living, ten years of college, a career that never "fit" and marriage with children - she began asking herself what SHE wanted, what she needed, and what she believed. The answers surprised everyone. Read More...

Last night I dreamed I was transported far into the future,  then given the opportunity to look back and observe my life – to see how my choices affected my destiny. I awoke inspired, motivated to create the destiny I foretold.  I saw a womyn who was not afraid of life, not afraid of taking chances, not afraid of speaking out. A womyn who unabashedly taught her children not only to dream,  but to follow those dreams with every ounce of their being.  To turn a deaf ear on the multitudes of dream-stompers who are forever warning of failure, and ordering all to adhere to the normal, well-traveled path.  A womyn who followed her own advice, and set out to share her talents with the world – even if the world wasn’t always welcoming. A womyn who, on her deathbed, was not haunted by the ghosts of what could-of-been. Who was  not a shriveled mass of unused potential, bitter and nasty. A womyn who, when looking back over a life well lived, smiled, content with her choices. Read More...

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