Recognizing When It's Time to Step Back and Rediscover Balance On the heels of a busy holiday season, I transition into my busiest season at work - Q1. From November through April the rhythm of daily life beats relentlessly on and demands seem ceaseless. With my new normal, living with the side effects of cancer… Continue reading Unplugging and Recharging: Finding Solace in Simplicity
Category: GenX
Cincinnati: Culturally Behind or Blossoming at the Forefront
Exploring the Queen City's Evolution in Innovation, Sports, Music, and Cuisine ...a love letter to the city that raised me My hometown, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, long the subject of good-natured ribbing for its supposed 20-year lag behind national trends, has in recent years become a city in the midst of a spirited renaissance. For as… Continue reading Cincinnati: Culturally Behind or Blossoming at the Forefront
Embracing the Winter Solstice: A Time for Reflection
The winter solstice is here, December 21, 2025. It's what I like to call the long winter's night. The nadir of the natural world. I once read, to paraphrase, that it's the ending, the death, of the cycle of life. Celebrating solstices is among the oldest traditions and rituals known to humans, along with storytelling… Continue reading Embracing the Winter Solstice: A Time for Reflection
What Are the Algorithims Trying to Tell Me?
What is the world trying to tell me? Robert Frost is popping into my scroll today. Maybe the algorithm is saying, hey you, yeah you, you are not going to ignore feelings. And I'm just - I can't. But that f&*(er is being persistent, and he is all about deep diving into the ethos of… Continue reading What Are the Algorithims Trying to Tell Me?
Facing Cancer and Loss: Reflections on Family Bonds
Since March of 2022 I have lost two siblings, Larry to Covid-19 and Becky to pancreatic cancer, and now within this past month two brothers have become gravely ill. And others have serious health issues that they live with on the daily. This is life in middle age. I love being from a big family… Continue reading Facing Cancer and Loss: Reflections on Family Bonds
When Others Make You Feel Not Good Enough
We've all had those moments - sometimes fleeting, other times painfully persistent - when someone's words or actions make us doubt our own value. It can come from a seemingly innocuous comment, a comparison to someone else, or an outright criticism. Suddenly, it leaves you questioning if you measure up, if you're worthy, if you… Continue reading When Others Make You Feel Not Good Enough
Gratitude Month: Welcoming November’s Thankfulness
November marks Gratitude Month, a time for reflection and appreciation in the cozy atmosphere of autumn. Emphasizing gratitude's significance, the writer shares personal goals like keeping a gratitude journal, expressing thanks, and fostering community gratitude. They suggest various practices to deepen gratitude, encouraging a culture of kindness and connection.
Older Siblings: The Unsung Role Models in Our Lives
How Big Brothers and Sisters Shape Who We Become I was having a conversation with my younger sister Angie last week about something my oldest brother said off-handed to me a few years ago - that we did not grow up together. It seemed important to him that my husband understood this. It is a… Continue reading Older Siblings: The Unsung Role Models in Our Lives
Living Through Layers: My Journey with Hidradenitis Suppurativa After Cancer, Covid, and More
The author reflects on their difficult health journey from 2020 to 2025, marked by diagnoses including diabetes, COVID-19, and breast cancer. Following grief and physical challenges, they also confront Hidradenitis Suppurativa, an incurable autoimmune disease. Despite struggles, they emphasize resilience, self-compassion, and the importance of community support through chronic illness.
Ozzy’s Passing: The Unexpected Weight of Loss
Reflections on GenX Apathy, Nihilism, and the Outsider's Truth I've tried writing about Ozzy Osbourne's passing multiple times in the past few weeks. The words and feelings have been swirling around me. His songs have been time traveling earworms. I've been transported back to the 70s as an elementary school student with an older brother… Continue reading Ozzy’s Passing: The Unexpected Weight of Loss
How Old Photos Help Us Remember Loved Ones
It's my mom's birthday. She would have been 88 today. It's strange to think how many family events she's missed in these past seven years. She was the glue that held us together. I wish I still had her counsel and support. I miss her nuggets of wisdom. I also miss her over the top… Continue reading How Old Photos Help Us Remember Loved Ones
The Double-Edged Sword of Nostalgia
Hello, everyone... I'm 156 years old and I have been listening to post punk / alternative for 87 years, and this song, this song that found me via Mobland, has saved my life. This band is pure, raw talent. Please enjoy it along with this newest post. https://youtu.be/P5iNkBw9K74?si=P9IyPagR0CR36dbF Down the Rabbit Hole Today I need… Continue reading The Double-Edged Sword of Nostalgia
The Magic of Ordinary Days
I've been in nesting mode. I get this way every year as Indian summer ebbs into fall. My thoughts meander. Maybe my real happy ending is falling in love with the simplest parts of life - savoring that first sip of morning decaf, losing myself in the stillness of an October sunrise, or smelling freshly… Continue reading The Magic of Ordinary Days
The Crone Redefined: GenX Rebellion Against Aging Stereotypes
Generation X, currently facing empty nest and retirement, is redefining the three stages of womanhood - maiden, mother, and crone. They embrace each phase with resilience and independence, debunking stereotypes and embracing wisdom with a dash of sass. Embracing the term "crone" as a badge of honor, they continue to rock out at concerts and start new ventures, embodying a renaissance spirit.
Choosing Happiness Now: Embracing Life’s Journey
I have been guilty of mentally thinking of life will be better when throughout my life, in some phases more than others. There have been times when it seemed to me that life was about to start - real life. but there was always some obstacle in the way, some thing to be gotten through… Continue reading Choosing Happiness Now: Embracing Life’s Journey
One Year… I’m still here
Our scars can destroy us, even after the physical wounds have healed. But if we survive them, they can transform us. They can give us power to endure and strength to fight. The Batman The subtext of The Batman movie is not dissimilar to the cancer journey. In this case the sadistic killer is cancer.… Continue reading One Year… I’m still here
Milestone Reflection: Battling Breast Cancer and Setting Goals for the Future
Hello friends... Wow, what a year I have had. This past year my milestone age didn't really sink in with all of what that means. I've had a singularity of focus - battling breast cancer. On this last day of this year, I'm feeling like time is catching up with me. Usually when I hit… Continue reading Milestone Reflection: Battling Breast Cancer and Setting Goals for the Future
10 Reasons Why I Love Being Married to My Amazing Husband
I'm having a gratitude moment for my husband. He's my favorite person and partner on our humble road of life together. He's been a rockstar with the challenges we've faced this past year in handling everything in our lives and caring for me so that I only had to focus on getting through cancer treatment… Continue reading 10 Reasons Why I Love Being Married to My Amazing Husband
Curated Lives vs. Authenticity: Rediscovering Happiness in My Unique Story
Here I go again, comparing my life to someone else’s life. How easy it is to get lost in self-flagellation when comparing one’s life with the curated lives we see on social media. How easy it is to get lost in examining what we feel are our failures in those moments, in comparison to someone… Continue reading Curated Lives vs. Authenticity: Rediscovering Happiness in My Unique Story
Revisiting Northern Exposure
For years I've wanted to re-watch Northern Exposure and finally it's on Amazon Prime Video. I loved that show and would reference it occasionally in conversation, as recent as six months ago. Happy dance it's back!! I finished the re-watch a couple of weeks ago. Through it I was thinking about my experience watching it… Continue reading Revisiting Northern Exposure
Our Humble Road 