Book Pick: Together

Another great memoir written by a local Charlotte writer and poet, Judy Goldman. The subtitle tells you that a "medical mishap" occurs, but that doesn't begin to describe the journey that such a "mishap" can take a marriage and family through from beginning to end.

First, the mishap is shocking and scary and leaves you thinking of all the medical procedures that we and our loved ones have been through that leave us scared and worried.....and without anything going wrong! This particular incident leaves you asking yourself a lot of "what would I do" in that situation sort of questions.

But more than that misfortune, this memoir is about marriage......the highs and lows, the drama, the boredom, how it changes, how it grows, how little things become big things and how once big issues fade to the background. There were so many circumstances that Judy recounted that I could relate to.....and I've only been married to my husband for 7 years.....nevermind over 50!

Sacrifice is a word that often comes to mind when reading a book about special medical needs or extraordinary circumstances. Duty is another. Unconditional love? Certainly. You think everyone has and is capable of those qualities, but that would not be true. To be dedicated to one person over the long stretch of your life is not as easy as a Hallmark card makes it seem.

It was another great biographical depiction of how different and yet how same most all of us are. But at the end of the day, we all want love, peace and comfort in our daily lives. It was another lovely example of someone letting us into a private life. It's an entrance we don't deserve but can learn so much from. Thank you, Mrs. Goldman.

Reclaiming Your Childhood: Priceless

This story might take a minute to tell. Bear with me. When my sister and I were little girls, my mother took us to a large baptist church in town. Even as a child, I never remember feeling welcome there. But I do remember the lovely older couple that kept my Sunday School class. They gave us saltines and kool-aid, and I remember thinking they would be nice grandparents to have. At Christmastime, the Sunday School class was set to have a random gift exchange. Every child was supposed to bring a gift that could be exchanged with any other child.....no specific gift designations. I received the gift of an Avon 7 bead necklace which was very popular at the time. I loved it so much and was thrilled to have it! I was somewhere between 5 and 7 at the time. (Back in the 1970's and 80's, Avon was a cosmetic company that was also known for it's inexpensive jewelry. I couldn't find a price on what this necklace would have cost back then, but apparently there is ...

My Week with Rumor

My dog Rumor was an experiment. A trial offer. And all parties knew that going in. Except for maybe Rumor. Rumor was an outdoor country dog. His given name was Ruger (named after a firearm if you don't know, I didn't) which made sense for a dog raised in hunting country. He was a stray that came to live with a loving family at about the age of 1. He lived outdoors, slept in a garage crate at night, frolicked with an older dog pack and had a lovely life. We think he was about 4 years old. He had been neutered, had vet care and was by no means a "rescue". His dad offered Ruger to me on a give-it-a-try basis. He knew I wanted a dog. He told me Ruger would be sweet to me and also be my protector. He was right on both counts. He told me if it didn't work out, I could bring Ruger back to him and his wife. I could tell they were a little sad when they dropped him off. It made me glad to see that Ruger came from such ...

NYE for $200, Alex

Can we all just agree that New Year's Eve is the worst of the string of winter holidays? I would even go so far as saying it's THE WORST of all the holidays. I loved when Stanford Blatch defined a party as feeling very "forced festive". To me, most NYE parties feel that way. The idea that this is a big year-end blow-out and we'd all damn well better make it awesome! The reason I hate NYE is because it combines two of things I most hate about celebrations: cold weather and crowds. Plus it's during a time of year when everyone has already spent all their money. AND you usually have to the leave the house. ADDITIONALLY, you have to stay up late. It's a big F.U. from me on all this. I would dare say that some of my happiest New Year's memories have been spent at home in my pajamas with either my child, an S.O. or happily alone. I remember one unforgettable year of moving into a 3rd floor apartment on NYE. I rememb...

Becky's Greatest Hits Vol. II

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