8-8-17 It wasn’t that long ago when Dan and I were so broke, we often didn’t know how we would pay the bills. I remember those early years together and how much we struggled, and so does he. Moving to Florida was something we did because we needed a chance to survive, not because we … Continue reading Day Twenty Nine – Paying it Forward

8-7-17 It’s strange that the end of this challenge coincides with the end of my summer break. This break wasn’t nearly as exciting as last year’s bucket list trip to Ireland and Denmark, but it was still a summer of accomplishment for me. I was able to finish the book I promised I’d write this … Continue reading Day Twenty Eight – Remembering Five Years Old

8-6-17 I know that being married is a partnership, and I know that – at least in our house – I’m the one who is challenging to live with. That’s not to say Dan doesn’t have his moments because his Type C (as in coma) personality is so different than mine we often make each … Continue reading Day Twenty Seven – A Simple Salad

8-6-17 Yesterday was so hot that even air conditioning wasn’t cutting it, especially in the back of Dan’s Jeep, where I was sitting on our way back from picking up a friend at the airport. Before leaving the airport, I asked Dan to stop and let me grab a cold fountain drink for the three … Continue reading Day Twenty Six – A Moment of Hope

8-4-17 This week has been challenging all the way around. I always envision the last week or two before going back to teaching as idyllic, lie around the pool with a glass of wine kind of dreamy days, yet every year I find my system is kind of shocked back into reality with a couple … Continue reading Day Twenty Five – The Gift of Faith

8-3-17 Once upon a time, a bunch of years ago, the CEO of an organization I was doing part-time, freelance work for asked me to meet her at Applebee’s for dessert and to go over the calendar for upcoming events. When I got there, I learned that my boss wasn’t really planning to talk about … Continue reading Day Twenty Four – Breaking the Curse of Applebee’s

8-2-17 On the twenty-third day, my gift was to help feed my friend a hot dog. Alex is an old, dear friend from back in our New York days, and he and his wife came to Florida because Dan and I found them a home and insisted. They were able to transfer their jobs from … Continue reading Day Twenty Three – Hot Dog with Onions

8-1-17 The gift for today is one I really didn’t want to give, and yesterday, I’m not sure I could have done so. No, wait. That’s not true either. Yesterday, I was not ready to forgive. Today, I am still hurt, but I’m going to make myself get over it because it’s not doing me … Continue reading Day Twenty Two – Forgiveness & Strength