Seven months was all she wrote*
Tara Choate August marks seven months since Mom’s death, so I’m more than halfway through “the official year”. And because I’m a planner, I’m starting to look ahead to what 2020 might…
Other Life Stuff
The best layout plans
Ever since I can remember, my family has used the term “plans” in quotes. Years of painful experience warns us that no matter what we think will happen, something else…
The Beach House
Preface: I had hoped to have my website completely updated and finished before pushing a new blog post, but I needed to vent a little. We’ll call this a “soft…
It wasn’t about the money
This weekend Mom’s estate took part in “The Great Oregon Coast Garage Sale“. After the initial visit to Mom’s house, where I cleaned out her clothes (Marie Kondo, step 1)…
Happy medium no longer exists
Forgive me for this rant. It’s a rant about something distinctly first world, but I find myself unwilling to keep it bottled up. Why is it so freaking hard to…
Extremity
A friend pointed out this week that I had not posted for more than a month. I’m working on apologizing less, so I would like to say thank you for…
Hold your applause
I want to show you my accomplishment over the last three days. I know. You just gasped in shock and amazement. Your heart filled with envy. I am sure you…
Disheartened & overwhelmed
Through the process of Mom dying, I rarely got stuck. When I started thinking, “I can’t do this,” my inner voice would say helpful things like, “Just make the next…
Five lessons from a Little Free Library
As I approach the anniversary for my Little Free Library (LFL), I have been pondering a few things I’ve learned from the experience. 1. Enjoy your surroundings On the advice…