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The Magical Properties of Easter Eggs

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Did you know that eggs are the perfect food? That's what many dietary experts have been saying for quite awhile now,  and with good reasons . They are compact, nutritious and can be prepared in a variety of yummy ways. I remember a time when medical folks and nutritionists advised us all to avoid eggs, due to their high cholesterol content. They had us especially fearful of the traditional bacon and egg breakfast. Eating those two bad boys at the same time would certainly cause an immediate heart attack! (Thankfully, that's been proven to be untrue.) My own life experience has shown me that eggs have incredible qualities that are even better than their high protein content and meal versatility.  They can be transformed into Easter eggs !! Last week, I was unexpectedly reminded that Easter eggs are downright  magical ! I found some boiled eggs in the fridge that I'd forgotten about. They'd been in there for about four days. I didn't want to waste them, but

Reminiscings of the Heart: First Date with my First Love

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The anticipation hung in the air that evening. We breathed it in and felt giddy as we finished getting dressed for our date. I wore a fancy dress, tights and shiny Mary Jane shoes. White gloves too, for the very first time!  My date and I were preparing to go to a concert. I was joyfully excited about it, even though I had no clear idea of what to expect. I'd never been to a concert before. I was only six years old.  Ray Charles was performing in our smallish town on that unforgettable night in 1969. It was a very big deal! Ray Charles! Mama wanted me to experience the magic with her. She understood that we might not have another opportunity like it again. It was a rare for Mom to indulge in special events like that. She was a single woman with two young children, struggling to make ends meet. Honestly, I don't remember much about the performance. I have foggy bits and pieces in my memory bank: holding Mama's hand as we hurried from the parking l

The Gift of a Name

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Generous. Mother. Impoverished. Loving. Widow. Grandma. Debilitated. Hard-working. What's in a name? Why do labels exist? Do they have any true significance in a person's life? We called her Mom and Grandma. What a privilege it was to do so! She died just over a year ago. We've taken these past months to reflect on Mom's life journey and what she meant to our family. Through the years, Mom shared tales of growing up during the Great Depression. She was the middle child with four siblings. They were known as one of the poorest families in their community. There was some shame attached to that reputation, of course. Mom was often treated unfairly, especially when she was young. In fact, she was verbally and emotionally abused by the ones who should have protected her. "Dumb" was a common title for her while she was growing up, although she very intelligent indeed. I admired my mother-in-law immensely, because she didn't allow her harsh be

Cheeky Mother-in-Law: A Tribute

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   The elderly woman cautiously maneuvered her walker into the small lab area of the doctor's office. I took her arm and gently helped her sit down. A familiar, friendly nurse approached her and asked "What finger should I use to get your blood sample today?" "Oh it doesn't matter.", the white-haired patient replied. The nurse took her middle finger and started to clean it with an alcohol pad. Suddenly, the lady jerked her hand away. "Not that finger!" she blurted. "That's the one I always use when I'm out in traffic!" The nurse just stood there with a shocked expression as her patient waved her middle finger in the air. When she laid her hand back down on the table, she had a twinkle in her eye and a cheeky smirk. The nurse visibly relaxed, then chuckled. So did I. The elderly jokester was my mother-in-law. I think she was 89 at the time. "Cheeky" is not a common term here in the US, but one d

Haha! Made Ya Look!

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Have you ever had the misfortune of talking to an acquaintance or even a complete stranger who had something odd or distracting on their face? You didn't want to stare, but you just couldn't help it. You felt compelled to at least sneak a peek! Something just seemed to jump out and scream " LOOK AT ME!! LOOOK! " Let me share an example that made a lasting impact on me: Several years ago, I was chatting with an employee at Walmart. It was a pleasant exchange, except that I noticed that she had a bat in the cave. That's code for something yucky in her nose. It was right at the edge of her nostril. Every time she breathed, the air moved it back and forth, in and out. I was trying to focus on what the nice young woman was saying, but I was worrying about not staring at it! So I was listening but simultaneously having a debate in my head- should I tell her or not? I'd certainly want to know if I had that little problem! It's the right thing to do! But

UFO Sighting: It's Just Your Childish Imagination

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123rf.com That hot day in July had started like most others. Who knew that the impending series of events would be controversially famous for many decades to come? Not only in the small town where it occurred, but worldwide! The auburn-haired eight year old was sitting up in a massive tree with a few of her neighborhood pals. They had gathered in their friend Nancy's backyard to play for awhile. Oh they loved climbing that old Maple. Some of their mothers were in the house, chatting and drinking coffee at the kitchen table. What happened next is still a mystery... The date was July 6, 1947. The town was Roswell, New Mexico. My mother was that auburn-haired eight-year-old. She and her young friends saw something very strange pass through the sky above them as they played on those tree branches. It frightened them! They were old enough to recognize that it was not an airplane. According to Mom's retelling of the story, she and the other kids jumped out of

Middle-aged Athlete

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"But you don't seem like the type of person who would be a bowler." Hmm. I'm fairly sure my new friend meant well. But I never found out his reasons for saying that to me. His comment made me think. What type of people bowl? People like you? Like me? I've been bowling in leagues for about twelve years, off and on. I'll tell you what kind of people bowl.  Wild hair and laughter,  right after my first 200 game.  Inexperienced, bad bowlers do. Some of them don't even know what weight their ball should be. What about technique? Technique-schmechnique! They just try to keep the ball out of the gutter and hit some pins occasionally. That describes my bowling skill level in 2006, when a friend invited me to join her team. I initially declined, saying "I'm no good! I'll bring you all down!" But my friend persisted and insisted. She assured me that she had a very low average too, but none of the others cared. They were all doing