Oh, no!

“Oh, no! What have you done now?”

No answer, just big brown eyes staring at me. Waiting. Was trouble coming?

I opened the door to the back yard. “Out,” I barked. He went – running like a devil was after him.

I took up a broom and began sweeping up the remains of a full can of oatmeal that had gone from counter top to floor in what must have been a whirlwind of activity. I was only gone long enough to pick up my glasses and come back to the kitchen.

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My Favorite Aunt

Kala is my favorite aunt. She’s also my only aunt. Even if I had a dozen aunts, she would still be my favorite. She doesn’t have any kids, so I’m sort of her substitute kid. She’s not judgmental like my mom. I can tell her stuff and she just listens. Sometimes she gives me good advice. She likes to do cool things, too, like rollerblading. She’s the best.

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The Bandage

Life has become hard for most people on planet Earth. It feels like everything we do to make things better is merely a bandage, not a cure.

Are you a fan of the TV show “The Good Place?” The other night Michael argued that no one can get into the good place anymore because life is too full of unintended consequences for even the smallest action like buying a tomato in the supermarket.

Life is complicated and the bandages holding it together are becoming frayed and worn.

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Wait

Hurry up!

Wait. I can’t find my shoes.

They’re in the living room. Come on!

Wait. Have you seen my permission slip?

What permission slip?

We’re going to the zoo today. Didn’t you sign it?

You better be in front of me with your shoes on and your permission slip in your hand in 10 seconds.

Wait. I want to brush my teeth.

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Lavender

The small scoop of lavender ice cream came in a paper cup with a tiny plastic spoon. It cost over $4. There were other oddly flavored ice creams in this shop – one with green chile. I gave it a tentative lick. Well, it was ice cream, all right. The lavender flavor didn’t really jump out. Should I say I loved it? Should I praise it?

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A Beautiful Day

The snow piles higher and higher
The temperature drops lower and lower.
The tea kettle fills cups meant
To sit beside a blanket and a book.
It’s a beautiful day to
Make a snowman,
Take a photo,
Simmer homemade soup,
And breathe the icy crisp of winter
Into warm lungs fill of life.

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The Best Cookie

So many cookies, so little time. The best cookies are homemade, of course. Where I come from the master bakers always produce tons of biscochitos. They are good. Cinnamon and sugar always works.

But give me something with chocolate. My grandson made some chocolate and peppermint cookies the other day that were the best cookies ever made. Yes, give me something chocolate.

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Holiday Songs

The most fun I’ve had with a holiday song in a long time happened in my workout class. The instructor changed the words to 12 Days of Christmas to be 12 exercises. One stretch, two leg lifts, 3 bicep curls, and so on. Five was a squat done very slowly. We made it to 12 and we had fun. New life for an old tune.

Happy holidays to you. Thanks for writing with me all year.

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Home for the Holidays

Being around family for the holidays is the real reason I celebrate. Seeing far flung siblings, new little nephews and teen age cousins who are suddenly grown. And my parents! They’ve  gone on without me to do new things they never did while I was at home.

I can’t wait to be with them. I’m glad when it’s over.

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Walla Walla Bing Bang

It’s my job to complete the map of Mars now that we’ve successfully landed a spacecraft there. It isn’t an easy job coming up with appropriate names for all the places we’ve discovered so far. I’m going with walla walla bing bang for the largest mountain range. It’s a big mountain. It deserves a big name. There’s a cave in the mountainside that our cameras can see. I’m naming it flying purple people eater. I feel sure future explorers will thank me.

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