The kardashians have worked hard over the past decade or more to define feminine beauty, to be the bombshells that women and girls around the world look to for inspiration, from the time Kim broke the internet with her surgically enhanced booty (yes, yes, season 6 x ray…whatever), to how quickly their bodies bounced back after childbirth, to beestung poochy lips. The thing is, none of it is natural, they weren’t born that way, and most women don’t have hours upon hours to do enough squats to give us a derriere that looks good enough to be surgically enhanced. But…
The Type A Estate Executioner
Where does one even begin? Do you start with estate planning? If that is the starting point my mom, who is a type B personality, got a few things right. Before her passing, she made me the joint owner of her house, and having a deed in joint tenancy with right of survivor ship kept the house out of probate. Good to know. She did the same thing with all of her retirement accounts: She made her grandchildren the co-owners of those accounts so upon her passing, they became owners thereby keeping those accounts out of probate. She also wrote…
A Day in the Life of a Pandemic Principal
When a day is longer than a day….
Zyia Sports Bras for Everybody and Every Body
Sports Bra shopping in the bane of my existence. Ordinarily I love to shop, and I love workout clothing, but when it comes to bras….it seems like its always a hit and miss endeavor, and I know I am not alone on that! Boobs are like snowflakes, no two are alike….even when they are on the same body and this makes bra shopping hard. Add to that surgeries, pregnancy, nursing, weight gain, weight loss…and you have a bra shopping nightmare. The thing about sports bras is that they are more critical than regular bras when you consider what they have…
Much Ado about Return to Learn
We are officially 10 months into a global pandemic that has been a major disruption to life as we knew it. Businesses, entertainment venues, restaurants, retail, gyms and more have all had to alter the way we do business and live our day to day lives, but at the center of everything is Education. This isn’t my educator ego talking either. Quality public education is a major component on the successful return to a more normal pre-pandemic existence. The pressure is on for public educators across the country. Let me just start by saying the pre-pandemic, public education has become…
Let me remind all women…
Maya Angelou’s wise words ‘Let me remind all women that we live longer and better lives when we have sisters we love, not necessarily born in our bloodline or of our race’ was a life lesson before I even knew who Maya Angelou was. I grew up surrounded by my mom’s sisterhood; a group of ladies that started out as neighbors, colleagues, and classmates that ended up being lifelong friends, companions, and sisters. Not just any kind of friends, but the kind of friends that help each other pack when it is time to go, who show up the morning after…
Time flies… and the Gift of Time
2020 was quite the year. One would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t have something to say about 2020….something along the lines of F#&*%@# 2020. As is true of the new year, we all reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the new year. Many a Facebook meme has warned us to eat our black eyed peas, open all the doors at midnight on the 31st and for God sake, don’t say ‘ 2021 is my year!’. As bad as it was, it was still a gift. As I think back on the last year I…
Twas the Last Week Before Christmas Break…
In an ordinary year, the week before school lets out for the holidays is the hardest week of the entire year. This is the week that kids struggle to stay engaged, and teachers struggle to keep kids engaged. This is the week traditionally where we have programs, and activities but still try to also have math and reading. This is also the week that I write my annual holiday Stanzas: Twas the last month of 2020, what more can I say? Between covid and politics, we are ready for it to all go away; The kids are zoomed out, and…
Do You hear What I Hear- The sound of Christmas
When I think about holiday traditions, and memories of Christmas past I think about my Gran’s live tree with all of the handmade ornaments made by children and grandchildren over decades. I think of Christmas trees made with fishing net found on the beach and decorated with coral and shells. I think of Luminaries lining the arroyo to the beach. Most of all I think of Music. In some of my earliest holiday memories- mostly at my Gran’s house- There was always Christmas music on the record player. Starting after Thanksgiving, she would play Christmas music while she napped. She…
Aunt Meg and Moon the Goon
My story would be incomplete with out the story of Aunt Meg. Most of the pictures of me before age 6 were probably taken by Meg. I slept in her bed when I stayed at Gran’s house, I was her tag along, and in my child’s eyes, she was the most beautiful girl in the world. She was my playmate, she was my care provider, and she was my friend. I remember hanging out at Old Friends Ice Cream Parlor, eating grilled cheese from the Arctic Circle with her, hanging out at the student union at Cochise College, and even…