Category: We B Late Blog
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Happy Birthday, and Sweetest Day, Mom
Today would have been my mom’s 89th birthday, this year falling the day after Sweetest Day. Funny that I’ve never noticed that connection before, as I always think of her on that “holiday.” Flashback to about 40 years ago. I was dating a predecessor to my husband, and we stopped at my parents’ house…
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Who Edited My Bucket List?
“I’ve never ridden in an ambulance,” I said, as I was strapped to the gurney and loaded in. One of the two cute, young (he reminded me of my 16-year-old nephew) EMTs responded in a chipper tone, “Now you can cross it off your bucket list!” This weekend adventure started last Thursday afternoon, when crushing…
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Paying It Forward Since 1984
You probably know that last Saturday was Pay It Forward Day, a “global initiative that exists to make a difference by creating a huge ripple of kindness felt across the world.” But here’s something I bet you didn’t know: I invented Pay It Forward. Okay, “invented” may be too strong a term, but before you…
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White Like Me
A few years ago I was on my way to a Sunday afternoon party when I remembered that I needed to bring some snacks. Taking the same route I took every day to work, I knew I would be passing an Aldi, and decided to stop there. I parked, grabbed my “Aldi quarter” from the ashtray,…
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A Miraculous Blessed Event
If you were shocked last week when I told you I was a 60-year-old virgin, hang on to your hat for this week’s news! I’m pregnant! Teachers always warned us it could happen the first time, and they were right. I came home from my first Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop on Sunday great with ….…
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Roseanne Roseannadanna Was Right!
I was so careful. I did my very best Santa imitation… and I’m not just talking about my bowl full of jelly. I made a list and I checked it twice, and even crossed things out as I packed them away. I have slippers and four pair of shoes, including sandals for the balmy 39…
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The 60-Year-Old Virgin
No one would mistake me for a virgin. Even if you didn’t know about my husband and three children, there’s my obvious postpartum physique, which I have not only maintained, but enlarged upon, for over 30 years. And yet, I am a virgin. In fact, this week a bunch of us virgins will gather in…
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Going Through Hell in a Handbag
I’m going out of town Wednesday and thought it would be a good idea to clean out my purse before I left. That way I don’t have to worry about getting a ticket for not stopping at the weigh stations on the highway, since my pre-purge load was roughly equivalent to that of an 18-wheeler.…
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More Than a Mother-in-Law
My mother-in-law, Juanita Stephans, died on February 24, after 86 memorable years. It was my honor and privilege to write and deliver a eulogy at her funeral on March 2, and I am including the text below. If you weren’t lucky enough to know Juanita, I hope this brief remembrance will provide a glimpse into…
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Long Live the Queen (Obviously)
Happy Birthday, Your Majesty! Queen Elizabeth II just celebrated her 90th birthday, and she has spent more than two-thirds of her life (63 years… and counting) as the Queen of England. To put that in perspective, here’s a gallery of how many U.S. presidents (and counting) it takes to equal her reign. I can’t…