It’s officially holiday season! That means it’s time to revisit the delightful diversion known as Dysfunctional Family Bingo created by author Martha Beck. If I’d known about this gem when my family of origin was still in tact, I would have had tons more fun…and I would have had a good chance of winning every …
Continue reading It’s Time To Bring Back Dysfunctional Family Bingo
It’s Thanksgiving Day and I’m in shock. My friend died unexpectedly last night. We had an hour long conversation in the afternoon and we talked about the next time we would get together. At 10:30 PM our mutual friend called to tell me that my dear sister-friend had died at 7:30….just a few hours after …
We’re flexing. We’re rolling with the punches. This Thanksgiving holiday had 3-4 potential scenarios. I’m the one that communicates and coordinates. That’s what I did. And each scenario seemed possible….until it wasn’t. Then one of the scenarios fell into place. The time was set. The menu was planned. The food was purchased. And then it …
Hello and thanks for stopping by. These virtual coffee chats are a nice way to check in. How are you? If you’re in the US, are you planning to do anything for Thanksgiving next week? Holidays can be such a mixed bag of emotions and expectations. I can say that, for me, the holiday that …
Photo by Don (c) Meeting new people and developing new friendships is challenging as we age…or at least as I age. Most of the people in my life are friends that I’ve known and loved for years. And I feel lucky to have them! But I’m always open to adding to the list of people …
Photo by Don (c) I wanted to get this into your hands early so that you have time to plan to use it this gathering season… The holidays are upon us. Whether you love them or whether you hate them… They come with their own special brand of stress. So this post is designed to …
Continue reading Dysfunctional Family Bingo Revisited…Day 20/30
I was the youngest of fourI had three older brothersI always wanted a sisterFamily was always a challenging subject for meI was the one that didn’t fitEver We were the proverbial rock and hard place meeting and refusing to yield As strange as it may sound….I'm actually proud of thatI didn’t compromise myself to gain …
Photo by Dinah (c) I have always lived near big water… Either the Great Lakes or the ocean. I feel like that has been a huge gift throughout my life. I’m not at all inclined to be on or in the water. But I do love being near it, seeing it, and feeling its soothing …
Photo by Dinah (c) Hello and welcome to my blog. You’ve stopped by at the right time. I seem to neglect this space for most of the year. But then rediscover it every year for the Nanopoblano writing challenge. I just passed my 4th year “blog-aversary” which, like any anniversary, is causing me to think …
This isn’t true but it could be In high school, I had a wonderful friend named Sue. We used to explore the woods together several times each week. Sue was an Appaloosa and we lost touch when I left for college. Now she visits me in my dreams and we ride again… We become light …
Photo by Dinah (c) Disability means something different to everyone. For some, disability means “those people”. For me, disability means an ever-changing me….and it seems to be swallowing up more of me every year. As a child, disability meant that I didn’t walk well…that was the biggest thing. There was more but I chose to …
Photo by Dinah It’s the day after Thanksgiving and I’m still grateful. I’m grateful that our day was quiet and drama-free. This wasn’t always the case. I’m grateful for peace. My friends have become my family. They support me and challenge me. They help me to keep trying to be a better person. I’m grateful …
Continue reading Dinah’s Chat About Continued Gratitude -Day 24/30
It’s Thanksgiving here in the US. That means different things for different people. For some people… It’s a welcomed chance to get together with family from near and far. It’s an opportunity to continue family tradition.For others…. It’s a reminder of family dynamics that didn’t/don’t work or of family lost… Either physically or to dysfunction…or …
Photo by Dinah (c) I’m sharing this for all of us. I’m sharing it for myself because I want to internalize it. I want it to move from my head to my heart to my bones so that it’s not just a memory. I want it to become a knowing, a truth that my body …
Photo by Don (c) Can you feel it? It’s in the air. The HoliDAZE are coming! I decided to write about this earlier than usual because I wanted to be able to share author Martha Beck’s ingenious holiday coping game in time for Thanksgiving. And I want to be sure to stipulate that this is …
Continue reading Dinah’s Chat About Dysfunctional Family Bingo -Day 17/30
Photo by Don (c) Photo by Don (c) I saw an old friend today Not a text Not a Zoom call Actual face to face time It was wonderful Why do we wait so long to see the people we love? We sat in a restaurant for 3 hours Talking, laughing, Our past/present/future blended into …
Photo by Dinah (c) HAPPY BIRTHDAY DON!Usually, on my husband’s birthday, I write a post about some of the wonderful qualities that make him who he is. But today it’s a different kind of day so it merits a different kind of post. Today, he enters a new decade… That makes this day even more …
With Angels and Elephants 