It seemed like a good idea at the time.

It seemed like a good idea at the time.

I think I did a bad thing. Having decided that Sarah Connor is the only logical role model for the times we live in, I pulled Terminator 2 up on our TV, and settled in. You know, for parenting tips. My youngest son came down to join me and immediately started...

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It’s Hubby’s birthday. Hilarious!

It’s Hubby’s birthday. Hilarious!

Tomorrow is Hubby’s fiftieth birthday, an event I have been waiting for with gleeful anticipation. “Oh, my husband? He’s not with me right now... you know how TIRED folks in their fifties get.” “Are you SURE you should eat that? Now that you’re fifty, you need to...

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I’m fine.

I’m fine.

Much of this past year has left me convinced that there exists somewhere a Melanie-shaped voodoo doll absolutely festooned with hat pins. Politics has me in a delicate state, mentally limp on a couch, just like poor Beth in Little Women. You would think the Universe...

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Diamonds are Melanie’s Best Friend.

Diamonds are Melanie’s Best Friend.

Sometimes my husband has flashes of brilliance. For instance, he recently informed me that we met exactly 25 years ago on Super Bowl Sunday. “I think we’re going to have to celebrate,” says he, then proposes that we have his mother’s diamond engagement ring retooled...

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Therapy is Not a Game. But if it is, I’m Losing.

Therapy is Not a Game. But if it is, I’m Losing.

Because 2017 was so stressful, both politically and personally, we have finally sought out professional help. It was a move that surprised exactly no one who knows me, I'm quite certain. Unfortunately, I am terrible at it. First off, I can barely handle the lobby....

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There are RULES, dangnabbit!

There are RULES, dangnabbit!

Yesterday I took my boots to be resoled. Found a lovely, old-timey shop run by an tiny elderly man in an apron, with wire rimmed glasses and handsomely calloused hands... he couldn’t have looked more like a cobbler elf if he tried. The shop certainly bore up to the...

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Wakey, wakey.

Wakey, wakey.

Finally, a bit of blasted relief. No, I’m not talking about the onset of cold weather—though those that know me, know that Summer runs me down. There is simply too much pressure to get out there and enjoy yourself! Every single Summer day is 27 hours long; it doesn’t...

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“Tri”-ing Something New.

“Tri”-ing Something New.

For the past ten years or so, I usually set my sights on an annual goal; something new I haven’t experienced or something that pushes me farther along a familiar path. In this way I’ve run my first marathon, my first sub-5 hour marathon, my first trail run, my first...

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Shhhhh….Some of Us are Sleeping, here.

Shhhhh….Some of Us are Sleeping, here.

One of the advantages of all your children being teenagers is that, during the summer, nobody rolls out of their bedroom until at least 10:30. “Hooray!” I thought, “I am going to get so much done!” Wrong. So wrong. When presented with the wide open freedom of...

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Stop with the Mornings, Already.

Stop with the Mornings, Already.

Today did not start out well. My 8th grade son burst into my bedroom, looking for a ride to school. This was cataclysmic for a number of reasons: first off, I hadn't had any coffee. Not a drop. I hadn't even managed to stumble to the coffee maker. I had gotten as far...

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Blog Roulette?

Recent Comments

  • Pam on I’m fine.We will not be looking back on these years with a happy chuckle and a thought of how whimsical the Universe can be, but I imagine the silver linings will continue to provide useful, elegant lessons in how to love this life we are living. You are a blessing and joy in my life and I am much better for knowing you. And this entry is freakin' hilarious!
  • Geanette on I’m fine.You amaze me. That’s all there is too it. The fact that you are willing and able to even LOOK for a silver lining is breathtaking. And then you make me laugh outloud. “And the award for best use of the word fish stick in a simile goes toooooo......!” Oh Melanie.....keep filling our hearts with your observations and keep us laughing. We need inspiration like you. And now ... bonus ... I can say I’ve “read” Rilke! Big love, G
  • Pam on There are RULES, dangnabbit!Wow! Who is the noble cobbler? Mine took six weeks to repair the strap on my bag that I carry every day. I am aware that your cobbler didn't say that they would be ready in two days, he just agreed that she could pick them up. I am delighting myself with the fantasy of her coming in to get her eight unrepaired boots and stamping her tiny foot while said cobbler merely swings his awl to point to the wall -- Ready in Two Weeks.
  • Melanie Danke on Wakey, wakey.Gosh, you are sweet. Thank you for that.
  • Geanette on Wakey, wakey.Didn't think I could POSSIBLY love you any more, but after reading this one. I do. I do indeed. You make me laugh when there's nothing to laugh about. You make me see the world with new eyes. No small feat. God, I love you!

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