In Other Words with Dave
Our hostas are happy, and our creeping phlox is creeping— or phloxing? Whatever the case… Our flowerbeds are hopping with DIY activity and progress. Alison and I make a mulchin’ and plantin’ dream team. As veteran DIY yardscapers, it has taken us years and multiple failed projects to understand our capabilities and limits. Weekend project…
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Taking Flight
Several years ago, back when my children were school age, I hung a decorative wreath on the wall of our front porch to add a little charm. Made of woodsy material with artificial flowers and leaves, it graced our little space well. Then suddenly a bird began fussing at us when we used the front…
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In Other Words with Dave
“I’m not friends with you anymore.” That’s what Alison told Mike, our trainer, after our very first workout session. Things were going fine until we hit lunges— the exercise everyone loves to hate. They target those lower body muscles like glutes and quads, and apparently, they also target Alison’s patience. Luckily, she got over it,…
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Special Wishes and Dreams
April brings a third birthday in heaven for my son, Jay. Two and half years of missing him sing, dance, laugh, tease, hug and call out, “Mom!” And today, I’d like to honor my son with a favorite birthday memory. Jay was born with Down syndrome and congenital heart disease. Year after year, he was…
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In Other Words with Dave
Imagine snapping your forearm as you reach into your mailbox or shattering a few vertebrae during that perfect golf swing. Or simply rolling over in bed and fracturing your ribs. Fractures and bone pain are common ways people discover they have multiple myeloma, a rare blood cancer. The rib fractures happened to me. One minute…
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What I Learned From My Grandmothers!
Someone recently asked me what I learned from my grandmother. Well, I was fortunate to know all four of my grandparents, and that question took me down memory lane. My paternal grandparents lived in a three-room house in the country with no modern facilities. My grandmother still cooked on a wood stove. But that didn’t…
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In Other Words with Dave
Alison and I enjoy scrolling through the news with our morning coffee. A few weeks ago, she was deep into an article about President Jimmy Carter’s remarkable century-long life. She mused aloud, “Wow, 100 years.” I paused mid-sip, equally puzzled and flattered. I gave her a look and asked, “What did you just say?” She…
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Heart-Keepers
February is sometimes called the “Love Month” with Valentine’s Day bringing elaborate marriage proposals. I once saw a movie with a young couple at a ritzy restaurant and the young lady found an engagement ring in her glass of champagne. Wow! If that’s the norm, my late husband, Carl and I missed the memo. I…
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In Other Words with Dave
The web marketing company that creates this magazine, Back40 Design, is celebrating 25 years this January. That’s right, folks—a whole quarter-century. Not bad for a start-up consisting of a folding table, a spare dining chair, a well-loved Mr. Coffee Maker, and a beige Mac connected to the internet via a shaky dial-up connection. Back in…
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Broken and Blessed
I have a passion for broken things. The cuckoo clock that no longer calls out the hour. A music box that doesn’t play. I identify with such things. On the outside they look perfectly normal but inside they are damaged. I often feel that in my own life. I look in the mirror and identify…
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In Other Words with Dave
As Christmas approaches, a familiar ritual begins here at the Miller house: accommodating our ever-expanding circle of relatives and friends for our holiday dinner. First, we need a solid headcount. This is serious business— standby status is not acceptable. Once we confirm the final count, Alison takes charge of menu planning, and I start organizing…
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