tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23727082159153110302012-01-27T23:25:56.099-08:00Transforming Thoughts into the Written WordAnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comBlogger1341100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-12499046459754772362012-01-27T22:53:00.000-08:002012-01-27T23:25:56.131-08:00

Hello my dear friend; I know that you are sad and hurting, and have been this way for awhile. I also recognize this despair has become comfortable for you, almost like a warm blanket you have pulled over yourself to try and keep you hidden from the world. There are times you cry out in pain and long to end your suffering, and try chasing away the sharp edges with pills and then the next day

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-65147144685684404612011-10-02T07:30:00.000-07:002011-10-02T07:30:07.665-07:00

The aging and breakdown of the body is an interesting experience.  I mean, as a nurse, I understand what is going on physiologically, but to be a witness to it while it happens to me, is very different from reading a case study in a text book. The medical text books strip out all the “OMG!” emoticons and presents the information as if no one was hurt or affected by the transition.  But when it

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-8056660611466681112011-08-06T11:42:00.000-07:002011-08-06T12:26:13.108-07:00

When I was younger, I would hang out with my sister and when we saw someone feeble and old, we would comment how this was NOT going to happen to us.  We were defiant and committed in this declaration.  We could not even imagine this being a possibility. We are now older and our tune has changed.  We now say things like “I HOPE I don’t become like that”.   The defiance is gone and has been

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-56141387446344132622011-05-13T15:44:00.000-07:002011-05-14T19:17:51.072-07:00

When you are young, everything is compact and solid. You body is little, new, and your whole world is just you.  Or so it seems.   When you are an infant, your world begins as just you in your body.  Soon you become aware there are different people who poke their head in and out of your universe and these "pokers" provide you with food, entertainment, and comfort.  But still, your universe is

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-26284209306997044482011-04-10T07:59:00.000-07:002011-04-10T08:28:52.160-07:00

I have a special looking box where I keep blank notes and cards so I can send them to friends and family on special occasions. Right before my sister’s birthday, I retrieved the box to pull out one of those cute and funny birthday cards to send her. But this time, nestled in between these new birthday cards, I found a card my mother had made and sent me many years ago. My mother had been an

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-75963959942207822692011-02-20T10:21:00.000-08:002011-02-20T10:37:29.318-08:00

One of my favorite things to do is to enjoy the morning light. There are different phases and aspects of this enjoyment. Sometimes it is getting up and sitting in the dark with nothing but the light of a candle. Sometimes it includes watching the sun rise from the East and then that transitory change from darkness to light and then to brightness. When there is more morning time available, I

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-28121603188916897792011-02-19T06:12:00.001-08:002011-02-19T07:22:24.745-08:00

I attended a lecture on the Chinese New Year. I was rather surprised there were so many present since I came with the anticipation this was going to be a discussion about the Chinese archetypes and calendaring.There were about 400 people present I had no idea there would be so many people interested in this. But when the lecture began, I realized my expectations were way off base. This was

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-64359815626511148212011-01-16T11:33:00.000-08:002011-01-16T11:52:09.840-08:00

I’ve been reading a book titled “I Remember Nothing” by Nora Ephron. She is a writer, having written several books, screenplays, as well as having directed a few movies. As I’ve been reading her book, however, I’ve come to realize this book is nothing more than a bunch of blogs. Most would call them little essays, but clearly they are all little blurbs about her daily life, her feelings, her

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-7642829852333366532011-01-15T12:19:00.001-08:002011-01-15T12:45:50.249-08:00

Years ago I had my first lay-off experience from work. A colleague told me how she thought everyone should get laid off sometime in their life because it is such a growing and learning experience. She went on to tell me to look at this moment as a blessing. I thought at the time she was bonkers. I still do.Lay offs are definitely a learning experience, but I think we go through lay-offs all

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-9068742739694896952011-01-04T17:13:00.000-08:002011-01-04T20:05:38.569-08:00

There is a poem by Oriah Mountain Dreamer that moved me to tears the first time I read it. I had never experienced anything like that with poetry before. I was totally changed. I bought thirty copies of the book, "The Invitation" and gave them to people at work. I wanted them to have the opportunity and possibility of being moved, too. Here is my favorite poem, The Invitation, by Oriah

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-23406190572266864432011-01-01T10:17:00.000-08:002011-01-01T10:27:44.923-08:00

One thing about being the youngest in the family, you’re always learning from your older siblings. Recently I observed my older sister down on the floor, rolling around as if she were a tootsie roll with her 3 year old grandson. He would fall on top of her and push her all over the floor and she moved where ever he pushed her. I had never seen my mother do this with her grandchildren and never

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-67649435152948113812010-12-13T03:49:00.000-08:002010-12-14T04:18:45.427-08:00

I recently attended a Chinese Medicine lecture on the value of sleep and one of the comments really hit home with me. The person giving this lecture, Liu Ming, shared not only about the importance of sleep and dreams in one’s life, but also how important this is in preparing a person for their next cycle in life; death.Mr. Ling shared how we all dream and all need to sleep and participate in our

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-77143758406251797082010-11-29T15:25:00.000-08:002010-11-29T16:08:54.418-08:00

I have been following the WikiLeaks incident, including reading how it is going to threaten our national security. I also read the comments sent to the NY Times and the response by the Editors of the NY Times as to why they decided to publish the WikiLeak information. I am in agreement with their decision to go ahead and publish it.What I have read in the WikiLeak documents seems more

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-54948208274156755392010-11-26T12:32:00.000-08:002010-11-26T12:50:39.773-08:00

In a quiet moment, one of my gray haired friends shared the source of his intense pain as he was nursing a glass of Merlot.He paused and looked up, “I am not a good person”.I smiled and said, something trite, like, “we all have our faults”.“I killed someone,” he continued.“What? I don’t believe you”, I said.“You’re right, but I did the next worse thing a person can do to someone”, he said.My

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-58379720015536189652010-11-20T09:50:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:17:14.218-08:00

Thanksgiving holiday traditions have greatly morphed and changed over my life time. Holidays can do that as a family ages, marries, has children, gets divorced, relocates, or the economy changes. Changing dynamics change family traditions. And that is OK. The changes can introduce opportunities to kick start something new.But there is one constant that I have found needs to remain in my

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-84924239654041678352010-11-14T12:24:00.000-08:002010-11-14T15:30:00.752-08:00

I am better at writing than I am at speaking.Even when I have to give a speech, I write it all out and then rewrite it and rewrite. I’m just not that good at speaking on my feet without a lot of preparation.I know that some people have the gift to spout eloquently without any preparation at all. They are the ones that are good at Improv, for example. The actor Robin Williams is like that. He

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-67356261361560659642010-11-12T16:17:00.000-08:002010-11-13T14:51:58.255-08:00

Emotions are what usually push people to action and to do things they may not necessarily have planned to do. For example, love is one of those emotions that can trigger us to do some amazing things. Other times it can propel us to do some things that look pretty geeky to others. But that is how love is. It is a motivator for action. Fear is another strong emotion. It can ignite us towards

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-67588833123203183382010-11-06T09:38:00.000-07:002010-11-06T10:01:50.970-07:00

I’m trying to learn and understand more of the different subtle communication methods we have available to us. For example, I had a few acupuncture treatments and during several of those treatments had some rather startling and amazing visual experiences that led me to be aware of some communication methods I was not tapped into and using. During several of these treatments I could see

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-45298150867307324872010-10-08T06:10:00.000-07:002010-10-08T06:18:25.076-07:00

Lady Gaga is one of the most powerful women in America, according to Forbes. I am one of the few people in my age bracket who even knows who Lady Gaga is. I have some of her songs on my iPhone and also follow her on Twitter and Facebook. Based on these statistics, Lady Gaga is a part of my life. But if you ask me who I think the most powerful women are in my life, well, I have to say it is

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-56046611536539189432010-10-03T08:54:00.000-07:002010-10-04T06:55:42.991-07:00

Oprah interviewed J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series and one of Ms. Rowling’s comments struck me:"I'm not saying I believe magic is real—I don't," she says. "But that's the perennial appeal of magic—the idea that we ourselves have power and we can shape our world."I like that.I totally believe in the power of what is within a person and how it can be accessed, channeled, and

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-49101564432058329342010-09-26T08:38:00.000-07:002010-09-26T09:07:11.164-07:00

In Seattle you can go to school and learn the art of burlesque dancing. I am fascinated by the various career options and why people take one path over another, so seeing there was a show on Ovation TV about a Burlesque dance class, I was drawn in. The story begins with meeting the different female students in the Burlesque 101 class. Each of the students was different sizes and shapes,

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-272015123107267322010-09-25T17:16:00.000-07:002010-09-25T17:44:06.722-07:00

One of the benefits of being older is you have the opportunity of looking back over your life and can now see how certain difficult points in your life actually helped lead you to a new place that you would not have otherwise gone. You now have the ability to look back and see the benefits to that difficult moment. Steve Jobs calls this "connecting the dots" and he talks about how having this

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-66543511096531947502010-09-10T06:52:00.000-07:002010-09-10T07:02:20.742-07:00

The days are getting shorter and it is now rather dark and even more quiet when I get up. I didn’t used to like the darkness, but I do now. There is a greater sense of stillness in the early morning and the stirring of a new day feels more subdued. I notice that during the bright and warm summer mornings, it was easy to place a myriad of things of my list of to do’s because the days seemed to

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-68625595346878065572010-09-06T07:11:00.000-07:002010-09-06T07:48:09.145-07:00

The story of the Hubble telescope is now in an Imax movie playing at the tech museum in San Jose. The main feeling I walked away with is how huge space is. I was overwhelmed with the vastness of space and where we fit into this immensity.The movie also helped me realize how much time it takes to produce something like our little corner of the universe, a planet where life can be sustained,

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-75552410321579306192010-08-26T09:33:00.000-07:002010-08-26T09:42:13.167-07:00

I welcome you to our family with open and loving arms. I can see how you have already made a difference in our lives and the wedding is still just a few days away. I have seen how each time I see my son, his radiance and glow has increased. He is filled with love for you and it overflows from his very soul. I can not only see it, I can feel it as if it tangible and can be touched. I am amazed

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-41754953472724816362010-08-02T06:13:00.000-07:002010-08-02T06:56:52.790-07:00

My former mother-in-law was someone I admired, respected, and loved. She passed away several years ago but recently I had a dream about her in which she was directing me to give the necklace she had given me to my son’s new bride. The necklace is made up of pastel colors of pinks, yellows, and greens, a treasure purchased many, many years ago in Australia as a memento. She bought three

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-44048301338686075632010-07-25T07:30:00.000-07:002010-07-25T07:49:33.840-07:00

I took a break from writing with the idea that writing was contributing to me not growing in other areas and my life was perhaps becoming too narrow. After all, in the last year I had not tried any new adventures and had not even attempted to learn something new. Could it be due to spending too much time writing?So I took a break.I took a month to explore what other options I may want to try or

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-38181537340109210032010-06-26T17:19:00.000-07:002010-06-27T18:55:45.811-07:00

When I was in nursing school I did a summer internship in New Mexico where I shared an old trailer with another nursing and medical student. On the weekends we toured around the state of New Mexico and Artie, the Penn State med student, led these tours. He had been in New Mexico for much longer than we so he took us to places he thought we should experience. His tours were peppered and laced

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-86864076806285843172010-06-14T17:49:00.000-07:002010-11-14T15:30:00.754-08:00

Many of us have been sickened and saddened by the oil spill in the Gulf. We have been filled with anger and frustration. During my visit with Pat, my acupuncturist, we chatted about this and she recommended using the techniques of Dr. Masaru Emoto, to direct healing thoughts to the Gulf. During our last visit, Pat and I had discussed the book, "The Hidden Messages of Water" and how water

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-6675516082642553492010-06-13T12:17:00.000-07:002010-06-13T14:30:29.845-07:00

There is a reality TV show called "Hoarders" where the TV crew comes into the homes of people who have the mental illness of hoarding. The homes are packed with crap and the people being invited in the home cough, gag, hold their nose, and occasionally throw up because of what they see and smell. I have only seen the show once. I had to turn it off after a few minutes and ran to the bathroom

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-21141866709296584212010-06-05T09:24:00.000-07:002010-06-05T10:37:41.901-07:00

For the last couple of years I have been focusing on writing. I have taken classes, started blogging, and have been writing a book. I noticed how this focus on writing started to change the way I observe things, how I think about things, as well as what I now do in my free time. Now I am more aware and even noticing how normal every day experiences can trigger ideas and thoughts as well as

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-63300963851592452882010-06-03T05:21:00.000-07:002010-09-03T15:59:52.802-07:00

My mother kept a stack of genealogy records and pedigree sheets identifying names of relatives along with birth and death dates. These sheets were pretty much just names on paper until I was updating some of the old photos of my parents and their parents to place on an on-line memorial. There was also this old photo of a rather hefty woman and my thought was “I bet she either has some unresolved

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-88722270959259926692010-05-28T15:30:00.000-07:002010-11-14T15:30:13.587-08:00

I recently had another acupuncture treatment and I shared what was going on in my life, including some frustrations I was having at work.Pat, my acupuncturists, asked if I have ever heard of the book, “Messages from Water”? I had. In fact I own the book. The book explores the changes in water molecules based on what is going on around the body of water. The book includes images of water

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-48515035742727274152010-05-28T07:00:00.000-07:002010-05-28T09:45:14.015-07:00

I find it interesting to read management case studies. You can sit back in your arm chair and ponder the different business and work alternatives as you read what could have done differently. In a case study, you can learn without the emotional turmoil that comes from going down that path. That is why, I think, I like reading about management case studies. It is an objective review of

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-14710143820274282952010-05-22T05:00:00.000-07:002010-05-22T05:45:05.412-07:00

Do you ever have those moments when you feel like you are supposed to be paying attention to something important going on in your life? It as if I know I will soon be saying, “It was just a normal day and then everything changed.” It as if something right around the corner that will change things completely.This is a strange sensation. Everything feels serene. Peaceful. Without fanfare. Normal

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-13600839496720727902010-05-21T10:53:00.000-07:002010-05-21T11:07:29.323-07:00

On her radio show, Dr Laura Schlesinger said that as an observant Orthodox Jew, homosexuality is an abomination according to Leviticus 18:22, and cannot be condoned under any circumstance. The following response is an open letter to Dr. Laura, penned by Dr. James M. Kauffman, at the University of Virginia. It is a great example of writing with sarcasm. Dear Dr. Laura: Thank you for

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-11391110830975777502010-05-16T13:08:00.000-07:002010-05-16T14:14:40.138-07:00

Pat and I went to listen to Anna Quindlen, one of my favorite authors. The format was conversational style where Ms Quindlen and the interviewer sat in stuffed chairs tilted towards each other, but facing the audience at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco. It almost felt like we, the audience, were eaves dropping on their conversation while they sat in a living room discussing books.Anna

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-7322886491805768652010-05-09T12:59:00.000-07:002010-05-09T17:40:08.214-07:00

When I arrived at the beach and opened the car door, immediately all of my senses were triggered. First was the cool crisp air with the faint smell of sea weed. I took a deep breath and could feel all stress and tension immediately start to leave. The sky was overcast and the temperature a bit cool with the anticipation rain would come later in the day. I grabbed my beach chair and backpack

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-59287308400531256492010-05-02T10:50:00.000-07:002010-05-03T08:12:06.403-07:00

When I was a real nurse and did bedside nursing in a trauma unit at one of the hospitals, it was easy to get burned out and be exhausted. Most nurses do. One of the reasons for this feeling of dread and being tired all the time is not knowing how to replenish one's own personal energy.Health care professionals eventually find it difficult to go through each day and give, give, give and have so

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-18153758458023838942010-04-29T17:55:00.000-07:002010-04-29T21:42:41.766-07:00

I grew up in an environment where you learned to keep things to yourself. If you knew the neighbors husband was beating his wife, you may have had a grimace of pain on your face, but you sat back and did nothing because it was considered a private matter. If a kid was bullied on the playground, most of the other kids were either in fear they would be next or would feel the need to join the

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-59293167381034410612010-04-25T12:46:00.000-07:002010-04-25T12:58:21.811-07:00

Sometimes it is almost as if you can feel yourself age. You wake up with a new ache in your back. Or you walk down the hall and then suddenly stop because you can’t recall what you where supposed to be fetching. Or you find your reading glasses stuck in a book inside the refrigerator.I assume these little gaffs are a reflection of aging. Or maybe we just start to notice these things at a

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-41231057574412648382010-04-23T05:29:00.000-07:002010-04-23T06:10:29.102-07:00

This has been an odd week. I usually meditate every morning before I begin the day and usually feel as if I have expanded beyond myself and am light. But this week the sensation has been as if I have been without form at all. It is almost as if instead of this expansion and a feeling of weightlessness, I can literally feel as if I am a puddle of mass. This is such a bizarre sensation I have

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-40011547328654167342010-04-22T08:23:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:07:56.770-07:00

I really enjoy hearing about management decisions and the story that helps make it into a case study. For example, the other day I learned about a manager who had to place an employee on probation because of her nipples were always "at attention". Isn't that an odd reason to place someone on probation? Well, I thought so.The employee apparently had a boob job and now was wearing tight fitting

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-13159161137363060262010-04-14T18:20:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:09:39.002-07:00

When I was in graduate school, we often discussed case studies to try and incorporate real live management situations into our safe classroom environment. I loved this! I started to look around to see how the decisions made at work could provide similar types of case studies from which we could learn.When the semester ended, low and behold a great case study surfaced right under my very own

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-42728040565932348732010-03-26T06:33:00.000-07:002010-03-26T08:26:12.879-07:00

Today I had my last acupuncture treatment for this series. Pat, my acupuncturist, placed a needle in each of my calves and then placed what felt like a warm hot water bottle under my back. This warm hot water bottle is connected to some electrical impulse machine that is used as part of the acupuncture treatment. There are several different dials and based on what she is targeting, will

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-42808255995422538232010-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:002010-04-07T00:03:48.847-07:00

The parents of a 13 year daughter wanted her to have braces. This young lady did not want braces and repeatedly told her parents “No, I don’t want braces!” Her folks ignored her request and took her to the orthodontist where he carefully and meticulously put braces on her 13 year old teeth. The parents were satisfied they had won this battle and felt their daughter would eventually appreciate

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-14365221019912190692010-03-18T18:56:00.001-07:002010-03-18T20:21:14.901-07:00

Before going to my acupuncture treatment this week, I felt something remarkable would happen. And it did.Several sensations and images occurred during the acupuncture process, but the most remarkable was where a new image came in my mind. The image was from the the movie, "The Matrix" and the scene was where the protagonist, Neo (or Mr. Anderson) had been fighting with the Matrix Agents and

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-82238370177153880512010-03-15T19:18:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:09:39.004-07:00

“You feel like home.” I love that phrase.For me it wraps the smells, the feelings, and the very heart beat of existence into one simple phrase. It goes beyond the words of “I love you.”It goes beyond the words of “you are my soul-mate”. This phrase, “you feel like home” shares the depth of awareness, recognizing that it is you, and you alone, who completes this person’s existence. It is the

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-6035168639663823982010-03-12T09:54:00.000-08:002010-04-22T19:11:33.751-07:00

I recently learned that a former colleague I worked with committed suicide. This man was one of the favorites of everyone. This was the guy who always worked late to make sure things got done. He was the one that was even tempered and could work with anyone. We all respected and admired him. Eventually this kind soul of a man had a manager who wanted to get rid of him. This manager noticed a

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-22889281777584882622010-03-04T17:19:00.000-08:002010-03-06T21:11:18.672-08:00

I have been going through a series of acupuncture treatments and during each treatment I experience something different.In my first treatment, I “saw” a black necrotic blob appearing in my mind which started to break up into hundreds of little pieces and float away.The next treatment, everything was white and the inside of my body felt as if it were being vacuumed. During this treatment, I saw

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-22885254315093783332010-03-03T09:22:00.000-08:002010-03-03T09:27:30.873-08:00

Last night was Guys/Girls Night Out (GNO) and at happy hour we sat around the table updating each other on some of the more important things in life. You know, like how disappointing American Idol is without Adam Lambert, what is happening on Real Housewives from NY, and when is Dancing with the Stars going to start. We threw in some discussions about the Olympics to pretend it helped qualify

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-47398001054150764112010-02-27T09:53:00.000-08:002010-02-27T10:12:44.719-08:00

When my parents were married and in their twenties, they did not own a car. When they were in their thirty’s, they did not own a TV and their telephone was a party line with the whole neighborhood sharing that phone line. When they were in their forties, they did not have a color TV. When they were in their fifties, they did not have a VCR. When my mother was in her 80’s she did not have a

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-12623126144838549812010-02-25T12:01:00.000-08:002010-03-04T17:49:26.811-08:00

Today was another acupuncture treatment day. Today’s treatment experience was once again, very different from all the previous acupuncture experiences. Today I felt energy flow sideways through me. I have never before felt energy move horizontal and through me. I have felt energy within me and it is usually vertically, moving up and down, or even radiating outward from a central point. But

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-86904461474949318172010-02-22T18:00:00.000-08:002010-04-22T19:08:45.825-07:00

When I was in that life phase of trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I would read biographies and histories of people, who in my mind, seemed to make a difference in the world. This process of gleaning from other experiences helped me decide on my own life course. I soon threw myself into me chosen life path. I started to be more focused on my community, with a desire to

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-67439873915928692652010-02-20T07:49:00.000-08:002010-02-20T13:14:04.984-08:00

One of the advantages of making it beyond middle age is being able to recognize and remember different life stages I went through. For example, I am now able to look back at different periods in my life and say "during that time, this is what was going on in my life and this is how I felt. Now I am also able to say "This is probably how my mother was feeling while I was at that stage".I now

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-79295136575636235652010-02-19T05:39:00.000-08:002010-03-04T17:49:26.811-08:00

As I was laying down on the acupuncture table, Pat, the acupuncturist, prepared me for the treatment. She said “take a deep breath, and let it out” and she quickly and gently inserted the needle into my leg.I said, “You’ve never put a needle there before,”Pat said, “I change the location each week based on your progress.”I replied, “That’s interesting, because at the end of last week’s session

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-25250714517641913242010-02-17T17:58:00.000-08:002010-02-17T18:04:34.993-08:00

LazyBuddhist, a fellow writer, sent me this note of encouragement she received from one of her writing classes. I love it! So for you, who may also be a fellow writer, this encouragement is also for you..."Your assignment is to write as you have never written before. You are hereby commanded to suspend all fidelity to lifelong commitments. Perhaps you will write about your mother or your

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-42169881111228475282010-02-12T07:27:00.000-08:002010-03-04T17:49:26.812-08:00

I am having acupuncture treatments in conjunction with some changes in what I eat and a detoxification process to cleanse me from the inside out. I have been rather amazed what happens in my mind as soon as these acupuncture treatment begins. Yesterday the process in my mind began as soon as I lay on the table and before Pat, the acupuncturist, even inserted the needles. I told Pat about this,

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-17020749796175125242010-02-05T17:00:00.000-08:002010-03-04T17:49:26.813-08:00

Last year I remodeled my house. This year I am remodeling me.I first approached this similar to how I remodeled my house; I made a list of what I wanted changed.“GAWD, lose some weight, girl!” I told myself and so brought back the WW diet plan and put myself on the treadmill and bike several days a week.“GOOD GRIEF, GIRL…get rid of those gray roots!” I went to the hairdresser and got

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-74421094079097986542010-02-03T08:09:00.001-08:002010-02-03T08:14:24.573-08:00

I am learning a new skill. I am taking a Photoshop class so I can change anything I want in any of my photos. The first thing the instructor said is "if you didn’t take the photo, then you can’t believe the photo is even real!". Immediately I thought of the photos on my son’s blog and thought, “That scoundrel! He changed those photos to make me look old, fluffy, and like I was someone’s

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-62501229945899412572010-01-28T07:30:00.000-08:002010-01-28T13:27:48.234-08:00

One of my friends is facing the need to have her mother go to a nursing home. We all get to this decision point sometime in our life if our parents continue to age and get to the point where they lose their ability to care for themselves. When we can also not care for our parent, or when they can not be cared for at home, we are pushed and cornered to where we take that action we all dread;

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-82434246353366195842010-01-17T09:57:00.000-08:002010-01-17T11:30:14.641-08:00

A friend of mine has been in Arizona for almost a year due to her mothers illness. Her mother first had a heart attack and then a stroke. Kate has been with her mom, trying to coordinate all the care as well as be there to try and help the family.Besides all the stress of this illness, she was continuing to work remotely to her job in CA. Then there was all her mother's finances as well as her

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-79642068493497857382010-01-04T07:30:00.000-08:002010-04-22T19:09:39.005-07:00

What I like about the start of a new year is that it feels like we suddenly have been given a blank slate and can create anything we want. Of course, it really isn’t fully true, but it has that appearance. The concept that we can have a totally new life seems rather refreshing; almost like we have unlimited power at the end of our fingers that somehow was not there before. I like that idea of

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-208802479502345392009-12-31T10:08:00.000-08:002010-04-22T19:08:45.827-07:00

When I was in high school, Shana and I formed a club called “the Sisterhood” so we could more easily entice getting a ride on the back of “the Brotherhood’s" motorcycles. I believe we only got one or two rides on the back of Joey & Brent’s bikes, but it was a moment of laughter, friendship, and bonding. It makes me smile even now.When my son was in high school, he too became enamored with

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-91513823960888722912009-12-23T17:00:00.000-08:002009-12-23T17:03:19.984-08:00

I have a friend who sees me as broken and in need of repair. Actually, she thinks any adult woman who is not married is totally broken.Somewhere in her mind is a concept rooted from her past that says a woman can not be happy without being married.What is strange to me is my friend is not the poster child of living happily-ever-after. She and her spouse spend a lot of public time complaining,

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-46679026864377441012009-12-21T06:00:00.000-08:002009-12-21T06:19:58.802-08:00

As we travel through life, we acquire different coverings and neatly place them around our body as a form of protection. We do this so we can cope with our environment. Over time, our coverings have become tattered and torn with wear. Some look and wonder why we keep clinging to these tattered threads. Do we still need this protection in this environment? Do we still need to keep something

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-80843534918956348642009-12-19T10:47:00.000-08:002010-04-22T19:09:39.005-07:00

When I relocated to CA, I was very much alone; no family, no friends, no history, no past. Time has passed and I now have established roots, friends, and a history within CA's bridges. I have friends and family from other states who now come to visit me in beautiful CA and sometimes it is during these visits I start recalling my former self as if it can be laid out on a shared platter. My third

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-26755627227705818172009-11-26T11:00:00.000-08:002010-04-22T19:09:39.006-07:00

I love that we now have a new definition of family. Family no longer means just those who are connected by genetics. Family is more inclusive and now means the people you are close to and call on during times of need.The other day I called on my friends to gather around me and meet some of my family and visitors from a foreign land (Japan & Kansas). My eclectic group of friends from several

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-83210689433510024032009-11-18T17:47:00.000-08:002010-04-22T19:08:45.829-07:00

Most things are temporary; both the good as well as the bad stuff.For example, I love having time with my grown kids but realize these moments come and then quickly go. Likewise, I hate times at work when I have planned and prepared for an agreed upon process and goal, but then have things get redirected without any communication and catching me off guard.Both of these moments are not

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-4277030691302676802009-11-15T07:46:00.000-08:002010-04-22T19:08:45.830-07:00

One of the lessons I have learned is that in the journey of life, we have the opportunity to take in the good as well as the bad moments and absorb them into our memory banks and soul.Because we see time as linear, we can view life as a journey taking us on a path to a certain destination. It is similar to walking on some stepping stones where we can journey forward, or stop and pause, or can

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-20442212809526241272009-10-31T09:43:00.000-07:002009-10-31T10:08:58.261-07:00

Keith told me about a man who creates personalities and background scenarios of people he knows, meets, or observes. Though this creative process he is using these made-up personalities and events to write a book. He first started doing this in high school and made up elaborate stories and dealings of his friends. He continued with these imaginative tales through college and beyond, carrying

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-71568447911729110732009-10-19T17:00:00.000-07:002009-10-19T17:21:04.837-07:00

One of my older sisters asked me for advice on how I was able to live alone."Huh?", I said. "Am I the expert on this?"I had no idea this was how I was being viewed by my siblings; “Beth, the expert on living alone”.Well, let’s see. Living alone means….I can exercise on the treadmill, bike, or exercise to Denise Austin at 4:00 AM and no one will be disturbed by the noise.I can sleep in on

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-10010192031087968112009-10-18T16:59:00.000-07:002009-10-19T06:05:32.095-07:00

My mother died when she was 85. You would have thought she would have had time to clear out old magazines that were twenty years old, or thirty year old bottled fruit, or even clothing my father wore back in 1980. But my mother never got around to throwing out things she no longer used or needed.Clearing out my mother’s home after she died was an absolutely awful and dreadful experience. The

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-83136284673946348642009-10-12T17:00:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:09:39.007-07:00

I am at my life’s peak. I am now in the swinging 50’s, which really means I can gaze forward to the future as well as look over my shoulder at the past.Arriving at this point in life provides an opportunity to assess and evaluate many of the decisions I made. Through this evaluation I can now see why and how I made many of decisions. I can also see how certain decisions were part of my over

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-91644006285341190542009-09-07T18:23:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:08:04.345-07:00

If you’re a writer or if you are trying to find the creative edge within you, watch this video from TED. Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of "Eat, Pray, Love" talks about where she thinks creativity comes from.I have had a couple of experiences where the words I was writing were not coming from my thoughts; it was as if I was the words and complete and logical sentences were pouring into my

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-3050964850607165002009-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:002009-10-09T06:50:41.682-07:00

Parents require lots and lots of stuff when they have kids. If the family goes anywhere, the parents carry along a portion of their house as soon as they walk out the door. There is the car seat, the stroller, the diaper bag (that is filled with food, butt wipes, change of clothes, some ways to keep the kid entertained). Occasionally you may see a mini-bottle of alcohol or a bottle of Valium

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-59739835152051544852009-09-03T20:22:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:07:56.772-07:00

My boss had a retirement send off. He has been at the company for 20+ years and developed a reputation of being tough and aggressive. People were often afraid of him, which helped win many battles before they even began. In the beginning, this technique contributed in corporate ladder climb, but for the last year or so a different and a calmer personality emerged. He seemed to morph into

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-83071152747256612912009-09-01T06:22:00.000-07:002009-10-09T06:55:35.012-07:00

I dreamed of my mother the other night. During this dream she reported that my daughter's boyfriend shared the news he adored my daughter. That was the word my mother used; adored.I woke up and was smiling.I believe most mothers long to have their children be loved and adored by the person they have chosen to be with. I think we all want that special love in our life, but hoping your children

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-68047681072462855962009-08-25T20:14:00.000-07:002009-08-25T20:40:24.697-07:00

After she jumped from the precipice she found her soul was now filled with sorrow and total despair. She was totally alone. She sat by the campfire night after night until she realized the need to relinquish the fire and paralyzing pain. She needed to move on. The fire was doused and she began to walk. From that first step she began to slowly build a new life. Step by step she worked to

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-39808284297382044422009-08-18T18:37:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:08:04.346-07:00

I have noticed that through every phase of life, there was an analysis as to what and who I was going to become. When I was a kid it was kind of easy. Whoever was the latest super hero was who I wanted to be; Superman or maybe Samantha (from Bewitched) was high on my list at that time. Neither of these possibilities stayed with me when I journeyed into adulthood. I gave up the tights and

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-4649285442632787452009-07-28T20:15:00.001-07:002009-07-28T20:25:45.942-07:00

Some of you probably know, when you work in corporate America you sometimes attend workshops or retreats that are designed to motivate you, rev up your team spirit, or train you to take over the world. Most of these meetings, however, have beaucoup hidden agendas and often you don’t know what the rules are until it is way too late.In one of these meetings, the facilitator was asking each of us

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-34419431677394322862009-07-26T13:02:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:10:43.153-07:00

It has been over a year since I have seen my daughter. We had a disagreement the last time she visited. I thought she was jumping into a new relationship without being careful and asked her to be cautious, take it slow, and even “don’t go down that path”. Like most daughters, she did what she wanted and left me in the dust while she went off with this guy.A year has come and gone and the

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-40868030949969893842009-07-24T05:00:00.000-07:002009-11-15T09:03:02.929-08:00

I have come to realize that some of our expectations surrounding retirement are truly bizarre. I have no idea how we came to believe that at a certain age we should shut down, leave employment, and then start living like someone we read about in a magazine. You know, begin living as if we had no cares, play more golf, and go on more cruises.If you look at retirement with the covers removed from

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-9819320832745149162009-07-21T17:00:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:08:45.831-07:00

I have been in a reflecting type of mood lately. You see, I have finally arrived at the age when someone told me I was supposed to die. With that, I find my mind looking backwards a bit more that looking forward. During these moments of expression I have come to realize that I had moments that were filled with much love, joy, as well as pleasure. But on the flip side, I also went through my

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-45232439082881928462009-07-19T11:02:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:08:45.831-07:00

When I was in my 30’s, I had concluded that to make an impact in the world, a life needed to be forged in either the political, religious, or scientific roads. I had read a lot of biographies and history, and with that information I concluded that to make a real difference, I needed to live a life in one of those paths. Now that I have been around the block a bit longer and have had many more

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-25604054049973988602009-07-10T16:47:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:15:18.801-07:00

Helen C. gave me a book, Midwest Mom’s, Recipes and Advice from the Heartland by Linda Nolan Polly. I read through the book this week, focusing more on the motherhood advice than on the recipes. Most of the motherhood advice was from mothers on what they did right, but there were a few in the book who shared some of their motherhood pain.One was from a mother who had a gay son and she now

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-40686320748372556662009-06-27T08:39:00.000-07:002009-10-19T06:10:22.914-07:00

I know a rather lovely woman who very much makes sure all her outfits and jewelry coordinate together. She is always in style and looks great. Always. She focuses on what she eats and exercises daily. She cleans and brightens her teeth after anything touches her mouth. She never gains an ounce of weight and her clothes and shoes are always crisp, clean, and shiny. To look at her you would

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-67153490510940132332009-06-26T08:11:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:10:59.059-07:00

I have a friend who volunteered to let me practice my tarot readings on her after I took a tarot reading class. About every month or so I practice and give her a card reading. Over all these months I have not improved a bit; I still need the manual and still can't shuffle a deck without dropping the cards. But she accepts my gaffs and fumbles, telling me I have good energy and that is what

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-89270376994637311602009-06-24T06:05:00.000-07:002009-09-02T13:46:25.939-07:00

Herb Albert caused a little bit of a revolution with the image of a woman covered in whipped cream that was essentially saying "come and get it". Shortly after this there was a launching of other edible delights that started to make its way outside of the kitchen and into the bedroom. Tantric books provided detailed recipes of how to use warm chocolate as a medium of massage and then progress

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-63034882305487752432009-06-14T18:37:00.001-07:002009-10-18T14:08:04.346-07:00

At writing class, one of my classmates got up in class and had titled her piece, "philosophical munchies". I like that. The title alone drew me in.It had texture. Form. Substance. EB White said:"All writing is communication. Creative writing is communication through revelation - it is the Self escaping into the open".I like that, too.What a journey it is to write. Sometimes it feels like gobs

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-57926157610156888142009-06-13T08:35:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:08:04.346-07:00

I shared my weekend adventure story with two different friends and got two totally different reactions. The story was about having to read my writing in front of a class and then shared the feeling of being naked and uncomfortable through the critiquing process. In some ways I felt like fresh meat surrounded by vultures. One of my friends said, "it's good for you to get out of your comfort zone

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-6637480180140900502009-06-11T05:00:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:20:24.067-07:00

When I was a young bride, my little family included me, my husband, and our daughter. We lived at the Married Student Housing at our University where there were tons of other young couples with small children in those sardine-like apartments. It was easy to relate to almost everyone around us because we all had so much in common; we were all finishing college, working, and raising small

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-7134790982187803842009-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:09:39.008-07:00

Prior to being married, many of the church lessons taught to women like me, were about fulfilling their role and destiny by getting married, then having children, and being led by the priesthood of men.When I married, I progressed to a new circle of married religious women and the lessons slightly changed. The lessons now were more along the lines of being obedient to our husbands and having

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-35792742947748994682009-06-07T15:21:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:09:39.009-07:00

Nestled in the mountain maple trees with lots of tall dark glass windows was our former family home. This home was designed for entertaining. There was a large sunken living room with a black marble fireplace, along with a baby grand piano in the corner that could be played for background music, singing, as well as pure delight. We had several other rooms in the house that were also set up

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-40802739115780090132009-06-05T07:11:00.000-07:002009-06-05T07:19:31.003-07:00

My friend John once told me the story of a Native American woman about 500 years ago in the Southwestern part of the United States who was a traveling story teller. She would travel by foot with her dogs from village to village. Part of her purpose was to not only trade stones of flint, but also to share stories. Today she would be considered a professional story teller. The Native Americans

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-7771963377310215712009-05-17T17:58:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:10:59.060-07:00

Most of us are aware that the HIV disease has devastated Africa more than any other continent. We have recently learned this is partly associated with a disease of long ago….the bubonic plague. In the 1300’s, the bubonic plague was responsible for killing over 25 million people, mostly in Europe. Africa was for the most part, did not suffer that same devastation of this bubonic plague.

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-63089063066672970702009-05-10T05:00:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:37:01.808-07:00

My mother once confided in me she hated mothers day and all those obligations. But I noticed that if we failed to visit, write, and/or call on that day, she was sad and depressed and we heard about this failure from another sibling. Mom had that dichotomy of wanting to ignore the holiday but was also acutely aware she would need to report on the days success to the rest of the church ladies.

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-17960124025548162252009-05-09T08:30:00.000-07:002009-10-19T06:10:22.915-07:00

I taped, then watched ,the Oprah show where she interviewed Elizabeth Edwards, the wife of the former Presidential candidate John Edwards. Ms Edwards has a new book coming out about her life and her guiding life principle; resiliency. I couldn’t help but feel sorrow and empathy for the situation she is in. Cancer is one thing to deal with, but betrayal and the demise of your marriage is

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-55674472024313458432009-05-05T04:00:00.000-07:002009-10-18T14:08:04.347-07:00

I see my tax accountant once a year. That is all. Each February or March I go to her office and sit down with a stack of papers and receipts while she sits across from me at her computer, asking questions, like “did you buy a boat?” or, “Do you have any professional license fees to deduct?” She then types in the figure (or lack of a figure) into her tax program and continues on to the next

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2372708215915311030.post-35567695576928777922009-05-02T12:09:00.000-07:002010-04-22T19:10:59.060-07:00

When my dad was in his fifty’s he confided to me that he was having trans ischemic attacks, also known as TIA’s, or mini strokes. Ten years later he had a major stroke and was dead. Now that I’m at this same point in life as when he shared that intimate health concern, I now wonder if these brain lapses I have are part of the TIA process. You know, the times when you are may be talking and

AnotherQhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07068329152603344560noreply@blogger.com