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Finding the Keepers: A Framework for Sorting Through Family Conflict
I love the anticipation of hauling in a king crab pot. As the boat’s winch lifts the heavy trap from the depths, our minds replay all the variables that affect the catch: Did we use the right bait? Did we drop the pot onto a level spot? Are we even in an area where the crabs are? And then – the rush of exultation as the pot breaks the surface and we see a huge tangle of legs and claws clinging to the side of the net, the bait ball, and each other. Yes! My mouth is already watering. But…
Kathy Giles
Speaker / Writer
Archives
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Sweating the Small Stuff
Sometimes it’s the little things that get you I’ve always thought of myself as a flexible person, one who goes with the flow, and doesn’t sweat the small stuff. Apparently, I am delusional. Because some small stuff really does make me sweat. Here’s the list of my top five: #1 – Unmade beds With dogs,…
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Playing Possum and Other Myths of the Animal Kingdom
Playing possum isn’t playing at all I saw an opossum in the road the other day, but didn’t know if it was dead or just “playing possum.” When I drove by the following day and saw it holding the same pose, I knew it wasn’t practicing its thespian skills. Playing possum does not work if…
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Like the Back of My Hand
How well do you really know the back of your hand? I know a lot of things about my husband after 31 years of marriage. You might say I know him like the back of my hand. But apparently, one thing I don’t know about him is actually… the back of his hand. We were…
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The Nickname Game
Choosing Your Own Nickname is Harder Than You Think. We are planning a big trip with four generations of family. In addition to making memories of a lifetime, this trip provides great opportunity to embarrass the children. I’m talking family sing-alongs, group pictures at every restaurant, and matching T-shirts in neon colors. With family nicknames…
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A New Approach to New Year’s Resolutions
Reality never matches the ambition of New Year’s resolutions. Each January 1st I channel my inner optimist and set goals for improving myself in the coming year. In reality, my New Year’s resolutions become a To Do list for the month of January. Like my favorite football team, my new routines and healthier habits barely…
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The Recipe Rebel
There are two types of people in the world: those who read the directions, and those who should have. I am usually a rule follower. I don’t drink milk beyond its sell-by date. I launder my whites and darks separately. I always fasten my seatbelt. But when I flip open a cookbook to create…
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The Handbook of Christmas Traditions
For my tradition-loving family, Christmas is our favorite time of year. We love every aspect of the Christmas holiday. Our family has traditions for everything from worship services to decorations to food and entertainment. You might say we are wrapped in tradition. In fact, we could publish a handbook of standard operating procedures for our…
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Becoming A Celebrity Canine Agent
Dog’s Stage Debut Makes Him a Canine Celebrity Our daughter’s dog Flame just made his stage debut in the fall musical at her college. At her request I brought him to the auditions, where he impressed the director and won the part. Since Flame lives at home while his mama resides in the dorm, it…
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Too Old to be Outdated
You are as old and as young as the words you speak. I try not to be lured into clicking those outrageous headlines in my browser’s sidebar. But as a slightly compulsive wordsmith, once in a while a great grammatical hook has me taking the bait. Recently, the article that caught my eye was “Outdated…