The loss of a friend and mentor

August 22, 2015 By in Uncategorized Leave a comment

Jane Shannon-KIRO-RadioAn open letter to my friend who suddenly left us, here on earth.

Dear Jane,

Thank you for laughing with me until we snorted and/or cried.

Thank you for understanding it’s hard to raise two boys and work full-time in radio news, too.

Thank you for staying in the meeting – after every one left – when I was so upset and needed your hug.

Thank you for coming out of the control room to tell me how much you loved my story about the Nuns who were super-football-fans.

Thank you for holding my youngest after he was born.

Thank you for saying your reporters are “rock stars.”

Thank you for all the times you called me, “baby girl.”

Thank you for visiting me in New York.

Thank you for sharing a birthday week with me.

Thank you for your support, your mentorship, your friendship and for simply being you.

You are a kind, perceptive, brilliant soul. The world is an emptier place now, but the heaven is smiling brighter with you in it. I miss you my dear friend, but I hold you in my heart. You’ll be with me with every milestone, accomplishment and challenge.

God Bless.

Sincerely,

Your “Baby Girl”

‘Nooit Gedacht’ Or ‘My never expected home”

August 15, 2015 By in Family 3 Comments

GpaWouter2The family home — the one I grew up in — was sold shortly after my parents divorced. By that time, most of us “kids” were already young adults; finishing college or embarking on new careers. But there was still a sense of loss knowing that my own children would never get to “go home” with me. Yes, my in-laws still live in the house my husband grew up in, so there’s a feeling of history, there. But MY home, was gone.

Then … something happened …  slowly … over time.

Continue reading →

Attack of the Sock Monkeys!

July 25, 2015 By in Away From The Cave, Family Tags: , , , 1 Comment

sock-monkeyWhile visiting my mother and sister, recently, they insisted we go to a particular restaurant that tends to give me the hee-bee-jee-bees. So as not to offend or violate copy right rules, let’s just call it “Snacker Bucket.”

To get to a table at Snacker Bucket, one has to walk through a barrage of tchotchkes, knickknacks, packaged snacks, quilts, towels, and home-made lace covered items that scream you are NO LONGER IN THE MAN CAVE.

Seriously, it’s as if the Midwest-women’s knitting circle EXPLODED in there.

This restaurant and its appendage-shop have single handedly answered the question, and YES — Yes, you CAN have too many sock monkeys in one place. Continue reading →

Hopelessly scarred by the ‘butter knife incident’

June 8, 2015 By in Family, Food Tags: , 2 Comments

knife-blogMy husband scolded me again. For giving our sons butter knives instead of steak knives. Call it the unyielding Mommy instinct: I KNOW they’re teenagers and I KNOW they’re even taller than I am. But knives are SHARP. I’ve learned this from my own experience.

You see, when the boys were much younger, I was rushing to get dinner on:

Oldest says, “I’m hungry!” so I grab a roll, planning to cut it, spread butter on it and give it to him. So I grasp said-roll… and a serrated butter knife. Yep. Apparently someone thought it would be GENIUS to put sharp, jagged edges on a knife that is ALSO slippery with butter. Continue reading →

‘Everyone gets a trophy’ is fine with me

May 31, 2015 By in Family, Teenagers Tags: , , 1 Comment

everyone-gets-a-trophyThe “Entitled Generation … SPOILED kids … and it all starts with giving everyone a trophy!” Yes it’s a catchy phrase. And it’s SO wrong on every level.

“They get a trophy just for showing up!” They are not just “showing up.” A young child who’s involved in team sports is learning basic rules, teamwork, commitment (you are part of this team so you’re going to practice) and that running, jumping and moving-their-little-bodies is at LEAST as fun as playing a video game. I agree that by the time they’re in the third grade, abilities and levels of commitment change and then, yes, go ahead and limit the trophies. Until that time, it IS an accomplishment just getting their little butts into their uniforms and onto the baseball diamond, soccer pitch, and hockey rink or basketball court. Continue reading →

What’s for dinner in the Man Cave?

May 21, 2015 By in Apartment, Family, Food Tags: , , Leave a comment

frozen-dinnersThere is a show on an esteemed cooking channel that challenges chefs to open a basket, full of “mystery” items of food, and then dares chefs to make something out of them. To me and others in the Man Cave, this is called DINNER.

Dinner Attempt #1: Open the freezer. Take something out. Thaw it and make dinner. I’ll admit that once I pulled a freezer bag out, sighed and asked, “What IS that?!” My oldest replied, “Merle’s hand.” If you are a “The Walking Dead” fan you will ‘get’ this. If not, don’t look it up. It will ruin YOUR dinner. Continue reading →

The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife

April 3, 2015 By in Family Tags: , , 1 Comment

As we approach Easter, the Momma of the Man Cave would like to weigh in on this:

“On September 18, 2012, HDS Professor Karen L. King announced the existence of a papyrus fragment dubbed “The Gospel of Jesus’s Wife” at the International Coptic Congress in Rome.” – Harvard Divinity School web site

Now, there’s plenty of debate as to whether the papyrus is authentic, whether or not “wife” refers to an actual female life partner or to the church. I can’t say WHICH analysis is correct here…

… But I CAN shed light on what likely FOLLOWED what Professor King found: ““Jesus said to them, ‘My wife…’”

UH-HEM: Continue reading →