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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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The Quest for King Crab
Adventures from summer vacation We landed in Juneau knowing that there were only 32 hours left of king crab season. Fish and Game never gives much notice when and how long the season will be open, and it’s been a number of years since the season coincided with our annual Alaska vacation. This year, the…
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The Great Zucchini Debate
Some Families Debate Politics, We Argue Over Vegetables “Look at the size of this one!” Many summer memories on my in-laws’ farm featured Dad emerging triumphant from the garden, holding an enormous zucchini aloft. Mom, on the porch, admired and exclaimed over the gigantic harvest, declaring each time that surely this is the biggest zucchini…
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Jack Misses His Breakfast
A Tale of Overthinking “Here, Jack! Here, Kitty, Kitty!” I shake the bowl so the kibbles rattle against the sides. “Jack-Jack! Come get your breakfast!” Most days, my cats come running within a few minutes of being summoned. But not today. I wait expectantly for the blur of orange to race into the garage and…
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I Set My Alarm Clock for Success
Waking up well starts at bedtime I enjoy being a morning person, but I’d never be a successful one without my alarm clock. In fact, the way I get out of bed determines my success as a human being each day. There’s definitely a science to waking up well. For me, it starts at…
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When Meal Planning Derails the Meal Making
The path to my kitchen is paved with good intentions Meal planning starts with the best of intentions. Every time I enter the kitchen I intend to create an amazing, nutritious meal my family will love. Unfortunately, the reality of meal-making squashes the fantasy of meal planning. Statistically, just 6% of the meals I prepare…
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The Smell of Optimism
If optimism had a scent it would smell like a new car If I had to create a perfume guaranteed to attract my husband it would smell like a new car. To be honest, the new car smell is one of my favorites too. I can’t explain why, except to say that the smell of…
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Build a Better Fly Swatter
I don’t need a better mousetrap Build a better mousetrap and the world might beat a path to your door, but I won’t be leading that charge. I don’t need a better mousetrap (I have cats). I do need a better fly swatter. Because I can’t swat a fly to save my life. Instead, my…
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33 Lessons from Marriage
Every anniversary is a milestone Milestones mark significant points along a journey. In the case of marriage, the “milestone” anniversaries are generally the decades, or the quarter or half centuries. But I prefer to believe every anniversary is a milestone. After all, each year represents 365 more days of mutual commitment to the institution and…
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Cats, Mice and Olympic Ambition
Catching Mice Should Be an Olympic Sport I’ve never been a runner. But yell, “Jack’s got a mouse!” and watch me take off like an Olympic sprinter after the starting gun. Unlike my Olympic counterparts, my 50-yard dash doesn’t end when I cross the finish line. It ends when I fling open the back door…