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Words of Encouragement
I’m not sure why, but I prefer bar soap in the bath. I especially love hand-made soaps. I have three different friends who make soap “from scratch” and I am always delighted when they gift me with a bar or two of their lovely scented soaps. None of my soap-making friends are local. One lives in Idaho, one in…
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Savoring the Summer
Summer is waning in my neighborhood, but it is still lingering. The aspen tree next to our driveway has not yet begun to turn.There is not snow on the mountains yet. At least, not the mountains we can see from our house. And that’s okay with me. Even though it’s not yet fall, summer is beginning to show her age.…
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Water on the Rocks
With their 2-for-$20 menu Applebee’s is a pretty reasonable place to go for a date night dinner. The overly-enthusiastic 20-something waiter tried to be both helpful and entertaining. “What can I get you to drink this lovely evening?” he asked. “A margarita? A strawberry lemonade? Water on the rocks?” I smiled at the notion of calling iced water “water on…
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Happy Birthday, Lyle!
He was barely 18 the first time I noticed him. He was sitting behind the wheel of his dad’s car. Not going anywhere. Just sitting there. “I bet that guy likes to drive,” I thought. I was right. I had no way of knowing, that long ago summer, how many thousands of miles I would occupy the passenger seat beside…
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Summer Fragments
{Linking up with Friday Fragments, Friendship Friday, Five on Friday, Awesome Life Friday, and High Five Friday.}
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The Conversation and Other Matters
Rebecca intercepted this exchange in the backyard earlier this week. As “Head of Ranch Security” Cookie is diligent to patrol the premises daily to keep the squirrels and bunnies in line. Happily, we have seen no snakes so far this year. We have noticed a fox or two and a coyote skulking about the neighborhood late in the evening or…
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The Saga of the Lilacs
Of all the places I’ve ever lived, I think the Denver area has the wackiest weather. Last year the lilacs were just beginning to bloom the week before Mother’s Day. We have a lovely stand of tall lilac bushes along the back of our deck and I was so looking forward to enjoying the delicate color and delightful fragrance of…
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Vintage China
For several years I’ve enjoyed collecting random pieces of pretty vintage china when I find it at a garage sale or thrift store. Those of you who have been reading my blog for awhile know about my eclectic violet tea set. Other than that the only full set of china I have is a set that Mother gave me that…
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Parmesan Crisps
Two weeks ago, on our trip to the coast, we stopped at Whole Foods on our way through Portland. There’s not a Whole Foods store in Spokane (our local “big city”), so I wanted to see what they might have in the way of crackers or snacks that fit in with the Trim Healthy Mama lifestyle. My favorite find was…
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Christmas Week Fragments
Let’s see… it’s Friday… so that means I can post a bunch of random disconnected twaddle and call it a blog post, because that’s what Friday Fragments is all about, right? So… here we go… You’ll be happy to know that Bernadine and Beauregard Bearsaltandpepper now have company in the Downstairs Northwoods Bathroom. The new inhabitants aren’t directly descended from…
