It was with a bit of a sad heart that this week, after ten years and 150k miles of faithful service, I finally had to pick an upgrade to replace Ol’ Bessie. She’s been a reliable chariot indeed, with only one spectacular breakdown near the end; and even then she had the good sense to snap her serpentine belt right in front of the Plow and Hearth outlet. Fear not friends, Bessie will now live out her years down at the lake, housed in a spacious and clean garage and saved for weekends tooling … [Read more...]
Spring Fever … Virgo Style
This happens to me every March: I believe that Spring will arrive in this third month of the year. I believe that the gloomy, grey, overcast skies will transform into magical sunny clear blue warmth. I believe that I will be able to turn off the heat and go play outside in my garden and fill my planters and hanging baskets with beautiful impatiens, ivy, and geraniums. March 20th is supposed to be the official beginning of Spring, right? Well, as always, this week was my reminder that Mother … [Read more...]
Don’t I Look Great… For Sixty?!
Busted. Here’s how it went down…. I had been pestering hubby Greg to start putting out on the dresser his clothes, and his everyday “must-haves”, for the next day before he climbed into bed each night. He’s a grown man, and he can certainly dress himself, but I had become weary of the o’dark-thirty mad dash around the bedroom in search of matching socks, shoes, cell phone, car keys, belt, etc. He had obliged and it had been working out pretty well… until last week. On a recent early morning, … [Read more...]
A Woman’s Heart
Did you know that February is American Heart Month? A whole month, dedicated to what is arguably the most important organ in your body. Perched here in the middle-aged cheap seats, I recently became acutely aware of the warning signs that every woman should know regarding her heart and heart health. Monday evening, after a rather grueling weight training class, I began to feel an uncomfortable pulling kind of pressure under my left ribs. First thought: – I’ve pulled a chest muscle. Tuesday, … [Read more...]
What Fifteen Thousand College Students Are Still Teaching Me About Love (Happy Valentine’s Day)
**This blog posted has been updated from its original posting on February 14, 2012** Observing our world from the middle-aged cheap seats, I can recite a litany of reasons to not love what I see. School shootings, freak and destructive storms, crazy political rancor – it can all make a gal a little despondent. However, in the spirit of this upcoming Valentine's Day, I would like to instead share that hope - and youth - springs eternal and is most certainly thriving in a place that has taken a … [Read more...]
A Blog By Any Other Name
As hard as it is to believe, this coming week marks the one year anniversary of my blog launch. YEA! Happy Anniversary! A big THANK YOU to everyone who has followed and encouraged me, commented, and provided wonderful feedback. When I began this journey, I had NO idea what to expect. Would I be able to find something interesting to write about on a regular basis? Would anyone stop by, read, and maybe even leave a comment? Would the blog become a giant time-suck and get in the way of: my … [Read more...]
There Once Was a Girl From the South…
Who never stopped running her mouth…OK, I think we all know where this is going. Do you know what a limerick is? A limerick is a funny little poem containing five lines. The last words of the first, second, and fifth lines all rhyme with each other. Here is an example that most of us will remember from our childhoods: There are a few things that the Irish truly cherish: a good tale; a worthy competition; and the occasional fine spirit (liquid or ethereal, you decide). This is why, as a … [Read more...]
Whoa…. I Just Said What?!
As it’s the end of the year, I’ve been reflecting a bit on the happenings in my life across 2012. Overall, from my vantage point up here in the middle-aged cheap seats, it was a pretty good year. We did lose too many good friends as they left this world to move on to their next adventures. Reaching the mid-life marker seems to bring with it the reality that some of us leave this world too soon. 2012 also seemed to bring many opportunities for me to do or say things that I never thought I would … [Read more...]
Fuzzy Bunny Slippers
Many of the readers who frequent this blog (God bless you, by the way), have come to know me as Kimba: King Salmon Slayer; Estate Sale Junkie; sometimes writes books . What some of you may not know is that I also have a day-job working in public policy. For the first forty-four years of my life, I was a “rules girl.” I traveled from high school classroom to college lecture hall to workplace/government cubicle. The schedule of a 9-to-5 job matched my sensibilities for changing the world: one … [Read more...]
Kimba’s Favorite “Things”
Congratulations everyone, we’ve survived another Black Friday and Cyber Monday. All indicators seem to reflect that 2012 is going to be a banner year for retailers and that is certainly good news for our economy. I’ll readily admit that I love a good deal as well as the next gal – my nickname in certain circles is “Shop-Dot-Kim.” However, each year, as the holiday season approaches, I find myself a little disappointed by the commercialism that emerges as we all tee-up for the manic rush to … [Read more...]