Jenny's Profile

Mad World.

I realize I haven't posted here in a while. Most of my quarantine thoughts have played out on Facebook. But recently I hit my wall of "this is ridiculous, what is even happening?" So, here we are. Last summer I... Continue reading

Posted Aug 9, 2020 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Bitches be bonkers. Pt 1.

Wow. I didn't intend to stop writing here for six months. I thought about writing, fairly often, but like many thoughts I have these days, it would just flit away into the sky like the dandelion puffs that will soon... Continue reading

Posted Mar 24, 2019 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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And now we are 16.

Last Sunday my youngest son turned 16. I wasn't there to celebrate, as my husband and I had to divide and conquer: I went to Parents Weekend for the college student; and dad managed birthday weekend (Chief's football game) mixed... Continue reading

Posted Sep 26, 2018 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Eighteen years ago this morning, around 2 a.m., I waddled into the birthing center lobby at Menorah Medical Center to have a baby. They tried to send me home. My husband tried to say I told you so, then thought... Continue reading

Posted Jul 27, 2018 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Thank you! The flooring is also gray, a darker tile made to look like aged gray-washed wood. I think I can learn tricks like yours, my bigger problem is there is not a single builtin storage outside of the kitchen in the entire place. And thank you again for all the boxes! We will pass them on!

Commented Jul 2, 2018 on Kill your darlings (downsizing edition) at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Kill your darlings (downsizing edition)

Well, we did it. We traded in the oversized suburban American Dream home for a right-sized townhouse with a deck that feels like a treehouse, a man cave finished basement and remodeled bathrooms. We sold a good amount of our... Continue reading

Posted Jul 1, 2018 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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It Comes and Goes in Waves.

I tend not to be an openly emotional person, when I’m not spinning and exhausted from the vertigo, that is. I think I’ve written before about how I prefer to be the caregiver not the care receiver, and emotion indicates... Continue reading

Posted May 10, 2018 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Far From the Madding Crowd.

You know that scene in Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd where Gabriel Oak realizes his entire herd of “madding” sheep is running for the cliffs? He chases them, trying to catch up, but knowing there is nothing he... Continue reading

Posted Apr 8, 2018 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Stop the World: I Want to Get Off.

On March 2nd, I was sitting in a teacher inservice meeting, about 10:30 am, when vertigo hit me like a brick to the face. I was just sitting there, kind of bored, listening to this (actually delightful) woman tell us... Continue reading

Posted Apr 3, 2018 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Live Through This.

On Thursday morning, February 15, 2018, I had a hard time going to work. My heart was beating so fast that I had to crank up the music and scream to blow off some of the adrenaline that flooded me... Continue reading

Posted Feb 18, 2018 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Babel.

Babel (n.) a confused noise, typically that made by a number of voices. "the babel of voices on the road." synonyms:clamor, din, racket, confused noise, tumult, uproar, hubbub; More a scene of noisy confusion. ******** Monday morning, I resigned my... Continue reading

Posted Oct 22, 2017 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Shel Silverstein understood me.

You guys, I don't even know what's going on. Yesterday I was Supermom, feeding pasta casserole to a bunch of teenage soccer players having a blast playing raunchy music and running through my backyard, sorry about the dog poop I... Continue reading

Posted Sep 12, 2017 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Bullied, Bothered and Buckets.

I was bullied a lot in elementary school. Like, everyday, all day, not just by classmates but by teachers. And it was the 70s and 80s, there just wasn't as much focus on teaching educators about compassion and empathy and... Continue reading

Posted Jul 21, 2017 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Letting the Days Go By, Let the Water Hold Me Down

Another school year down. The boys' school district finished last Friday. Today at noon my school dismissed, my first year of teaching as a Real Teacher in the books. I really do feel a little like Pinocchio: A Real Teacher,... Continue reading

Posted May 24, 2017 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Little Shop of Horrors.

Earlier today, I was out in the yard with our exchange student, turning over rocks looking for bugs he can take into school for Zoology class. I was complaining about the weeds growing in among the newly seeded grass since... Continue reading

Posted Apr 9, 2017 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Bobby in the Shower.

After the election, I spent about 24 hours in complete hysterics, unable to believe what we've done. But then I shut off the valve. I compartmentalized it and focused on work, kids, volunteer jobs. That worked pretty well until this... Continue reading

Posted Jan 22, 2017 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Go West, Young Man.

We had a lovely Christmas season this year, although I spent less time on setting the scene, as it were, than I usually do. I was super sick over our Thanksgiving trip to Alabama, a nasty cold that eventually sidelined... Continue reading

Posted Jan 7, 2017 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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She's come undone.

I don't even know where to start. I had intended to restart this blog as an account of our family now, after so many years of being too busy to write, now that the boys are teenagers and we have... Continue reading

Posted Nov 9, 2016 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Riding in Cars With Boys

I spend a lot of time in my car, driving teenagers to school, to sports, to Boy Scouts, and back home from all of these things. Riding in the car has always been a great place to get my kids... Continue reading

Posted Sep 21, 2016 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Four Five Seconds...

Three day weekends always seem to be harder from which to recover. You'd think starting the work week on a Tuesday would make it all easier, only four days of work and all, but somehow it is harder. Or maybe... Continue reading

Posted Sep 9, 2016 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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All's Well That Ends Well.

So odd to suddenly remember that this site exists. I mean honestly, to see that in the sidebar I've posted here less than ten times since the last Presidential election, which, for the love of Peter, is happening again and... Continue reading

Posted Aug 28, 2016 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Watershed.

Hidey-Ho lovely people. I'm going to pretend there are actually people here reading, even thought I know at this point I've lost everyone to some other intellectually stimulating thing, since this is mostly abandoned. Ten years I've had this blog,... Continue reading

Posted Dec 22, 2014 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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The widening gyre.

Almost a year. I think that's enough of a break. I haven't had much to say. Well, actually I don't even know if I had much to say in the last year, because I haven't really had time to think... Continue reading

Posted Jun 10, 2014 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Conversations with an almost-teenager.

(Scene: riding along in the car, The Grateful Dead's Touch of Grey comes on the radio.) Me: Now, this is a band you need to get to know at some point. Something to keep in mind for someday. This was... Continue reading

Posted Jul 8, 2013 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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Maybe I should have listened to Tina Fey. *

Ho-hey, hi there. Not much to see here, sorry. I just keep swimming, swimming, swimming, like a little blue Dori fish, flapping my little fins trying to keep going. It's been an extended winter, and its APRIL, people, and they... Continue reading

Posted Apr 17, 2013 at We're not in Kansas Anymore, Toto.

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