Category: Uncategorized
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Here’s the dirt on fresh produce
When my hands plunge into the soil, when I bend to pick strawberries and blueberries, reach into a tree to pluck peaches, or snip a head of lettuce, I’m reminded of the origins of food. In the garden, I’ll smile as I recall a conversation, probably in 2003, when I taught English at West Seattle…
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grandparents against graffiti
Recently, I was in a restaurant bathroom and on the wall was scrawled, “Class of 2021” and “Class of 2024.” This graffiti annoyed me because most young people have no concept of the time, cleaning supplies, and paint it takes to remove this blight. I know this because I was once a teenager and probably…
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“American Idol,” a Mirror for Writers
As I’ve watched “American Idol,” I’ve felt a pang of recognition in the artists’ commitment to creating something that’s authentic to their style yet having to adapt to industry standards of success. These vocalists and musicians are quite raw in the beginning of the season, but with coaching, coiffing, and cajoling rise as stars. I’m…
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Road rules used as a child still apply
My three siblings and I walked and biked a lot in our youth. We were a two-wheeler convoy navigating many miles in England, Germany, and the United States. As a child, I remember learning pedestrian and bike-riding rules that kept me safe, and the rules must’ve been effective, because my siblings and I were never…
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Puppy Love Unleashes Lessons
About a year ago, a dog trainer said to my sister and me, “I’m not training the dog as much as I’m training the owners.” I’ve owned my dog for almost six months and it’s clear that puppy love has lessons to teach us, if we’re willing to learn. Bonus: We can apply these lessons…
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How Powerful is the Power of One?
My sister and I, who share a home, swear that we must have been reincarnated from someone who lived through the Depression Era. We’re often amused with our diligence as we wash and reuse baggies and tin foil; save used ribbon, wrapping paper, and bubble wrap; tear dryer sheets in half; wash and reuse plastic…
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Bikinis expose skin and our misguided thinking
As my sister, Karen, and I packed for our trip to Cabo this December, we made a pact to ignore the claims of what’s appropriate attire for “older women” and unburied our bikinis. Mine hadn’t seen daylight for two decades. What prompted this bikini liberation was a trip to LA in August for our uncle’s…
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How Clean is Clean Enough?
During an ordinary week, my sister and I maintain a livable standard of cleanliness in the home that we share. Our definition of “livable” is simpatico. For example, one or the other sweeps our wood floors at least every other day, we wash our dishes and wipe down surfaces in the kitchen twice a day,…
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Things That Go Ba-Dump in the Night
I’ve just sat upright in my bed. My heart is racing. I’m jittery and twitchy. The ba-dump in the night is not me dreaming that zombies are invading my home. It’s my heart doing the conga, to the tune of Day O, as played in the movie Beetlejuice! It’s because I dared to eat dessert…
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Four Funerals and a Fire
There’s no better lesson than witnessing people dying to create a sense of urgency to clean out clutter in closets and drawers and to plan for death. Four people: my aunt, a family friend of fifty years, my mother, and my uncle died in close succession. In the span of approximately four months, I witnessed…
Fedore Writer 