Family & Friends
Thoughts related to my family and friends
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Girls’ Night Out
Do you have a group of friends you get together with on a regular basis? How do you spend your time together? Read about my version of Girls' Night Out. Bonus - you'll also get a couple of great recipes.
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Lessons from the Oncology Department
I've had a new experience this year helping my mom as she goes through cancer treatments. As with any new experience, there's something to learn. Read about what I've learned.
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When My Husband Retires
Are you like me and retired before your husband? What will happen when he does? Will it be stressful? Will you finally be able to do more? See what I'm thinking will happen in my life.
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Friends for Life
Do you have friends that have known you since you were a kid? Do you still spend time together? I have those kinds of friends. Read about how I view these special relationships.
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Using Blood to Detect Cancer
Through my mom's recent cancer diagnosis, I've learned there are blood tests that can help detect certain types of cancer earlier. Should they be part of routine physicals? Are there other tests that should be routine as well?
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An Old Car Game – Iowa’s 99 Counties
Unlike today, there was no built-in entertainment during long car trips. Read about a game we used to play in the car and pick up a little Iowa history at the same time.
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Supporting a Long Distance Runner
In honor of National Running Day, I thought I’d write about my own experiences with running. It’s not about my running, but instead about my support of long distance runners. Over the last 25+ years, I’ve supported two runners, and I thought it might be interesting for you to hear about long distance running from the non-runner’s perspective. I supported my friend Mark from the mid 90s through 2009 and my husband Tim since 2012. The motivation I’ve never felt the rush that long distance runners get, so I can’t say if it’s as addictive as I’ve heard. I do know it can become an obsession. Running is obviously good…
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Seeing Book Club (The Movie) with My Book Club
Tuesday night was the scheduled night of our May book club meeting. We decided we should use this time, instead of discussing this month’s book, to see the new movie “Book Club”. If you haven’t seen the movie, you should. I think you’ll like it. What’s it about? This movie is about four women who’ve been lifelong friends and started their book club years ago. I’m not sure how old they are supposed to be in the movie – maybe their late 60s/70s? (The actresses are all over 70 except for Mary Steenburgen, who’s 65.) They’re all very successful but are at different points in their lives, which is typical of…
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Creating a Gallery Wall
Do you have an empty wall but you’re not sure what to do with it? Have you ever thought about creating a gallery wall? What would you put in your gallery? It can include whatever you like, whether it’s photos, artwork, or mirrors. We created a gallery wall in our house last fall and it was easier to pull together than you might think. Using old/favorite pictures Last fall, Tim decided to dig through several boxes full of pictures. He had a bunch and he wanted to sort them and distribute them to other members of his family, primarily his kids. While going through the boxes, he discovered he had…
