this epidemic of good deeds and dispositions was out of my control. I watched as the Samaritans began to multiply out on the street. A pizza guy stopped to hold a door open. A woman stood still while her dog said hello to a puppy. A man on his phone paused his call and executed a tiny soccer move to stop something rolling down the street being chased by a panicked teenager. And when I asked the angel bus driver how close he got to my desired street he said, “I will stop there for you. I have time.”

Continue reading My Monday Musing ~ From The Archive: “Kindness Takes Time” FYI ~ I Am Taking August Off (French, Oui?) at Tulis McCall.

Creating a budget is just like aging. Nobody tells you anything except the people who whisper, “Don’t get old,” which is not a conversation starter. There is no guidance. You sleep through a few stops, and when you tell the conductor you would like to get off and take the train back a bit, you are told there is no getting off the train. Just like you cannot unspend your money. There is only forward motion. You’re stuck.

Continue reading My Monday Musing ~ Budgeting 101 Reprise ~ With Advice On Aging ~ I Needed To Hear This AGAIN! at Tulis McCall.

I am feeling vindicated today so watch out. I heard an interview with Alice Walker the other day and the interviewer referred to her relationship with another female writer and used the term “you guys”. Walker stopped him cold. She said, “I don’t like to be referred to as a guy.” The interviewer apologized and said he was not even aware he had used that phrase. “Most people aren’t.” she said.

Newsflash - I have been saying this for years!

Continue reading My Monday Musing ~ Women Are NOT Guys at Tulis McCall.

WHY people are missing shows is their business, but the people who step into their shoes deserve more than a pat on the back and a “thank you so much.” They deserve recognition and a big fat award.

Continue reading My Monday Musing ~ Tony Awards for Understudies – Yea Or Nay? at Tulis McCall.

This is an essay I wrote in March 2023. When there is a positive patch in your life - think back on how you got there. You stuck your neck out. That's how.

Continue reading Stick Your Neck Out ~ An Essay From 2023 I Needed To Hear AGAIN at Tulis McCall.

What happened to following up with a phone call? Follow up phone calls or checking in phone calls or confirmation phone calls or gossip calls or “Can I come over?” calls or “I’m asking you out on a date” calls, or “Got time for a drink this week?” calls or plain old, “I miss you” calls.”

What happened to them?

Continue reading My Monday Musing – Where Did The Telephones Go? at Tulis McCall.

Remember the Mulberry tree scattering her ripe berries on the sidewalk so that someone will see the message in the mess and look up. It only took me 15 years to figure that one out.

Continue reading My Monday Musing ~ The Mulberry Tree Message at Tulis McCall.

Last week I got three emails from three adult human beings with whom I am taking online classes. Yes these are teachers. Leaders with followings. People a person might look to for guidance.

Continue reading My Monday Musing ~ You “Wanna”? at Tulis McCall.

The Everything Drawer - You know you have one. Everybody has one. Right NEXT to the silverware drawer OR the gadget drawer where you keep the wine opener and the candle stubs and the used corks.

Continue reading My Monday Musing ~ Secrets Of The Everything Drawer at Tulis McCall.

Long ago - Memorial Day did not give you a long weekend. It was on May 30th and the next day was May 31 and you went back to work or school or Saturday chores or Sunday church. We filled Memorial Day full to the brim and returned to life the next day.

Continue reading My Monday Musing ~ Memorial Day Part Two at Tulis McCall.