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Dreams
I dreamed of my middle school house again. In this dream, as usual, it was the house and not quite the house. We were assessing it for some DIY repairs, some renovation. Lush green plants grew down out of the ceiling – a “living roof” in reverse. A stunning spiral chandelier made of seashells hung in the front foyer, near the steps. As I spun in place in the kitchen, it wobbled like the reflection in a fun house mirror, and I couldn’t quite get a good look at the cabinets and countertops as they shimmered just out of focus. I could only really clearly see the old 1980s royal…
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February 24
Jack is my errand buddy. If I have to go to the grocery, to Target, drive across town to pick up Craig from baseball . . . whatever, wherever, he’ll come along. Sometimes he chats, sometimes he sits in companionable silence and listens to his ever-present Airpods. He always pushes the cart for me. I am taking him on a trip on a plane for his sixteenth birthday (probably – I got almost $1000 in Southwest credits to spend this year – I’ve decided to create a Sixteenth Birthday Tradition). Where should we go? The five of us went on a trip down to Florida recently. Whenever we travel I…
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Final THPR Prompt
What’s the nicest compliment you ever received? Why was it so meaningful to you? The school I attended for the longest period of time (given my military brat nomad upbringing) was Hickman Elementary in the San Diego Unified School District. I recall that I wasn’t actually zoned for it, but they let my siblings and I attend because of the military connection (the school that we were zoned for was rough). (This is all filtered through a 10 year old’s mind and memories and a 35-year passage of time, but it’s what I recall). My sixth grade teacher at Hickman was Mrs. Therieau, and she was fairly old when I…
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THPR Writing Prompts
What is your superpower? I’ve been stewing on this one a few days and don’t have a very fun or interesting answer. I can carry lots of dishes, a holdover from the waitress days. I can keep indoor plants very happy (still working on outdoor!) I can read people’s moods, although I think this is more Kryptonite than super power, as I’m often monitoring and mediating where it isn’t even necessary. What do you regret? I went to law school and became a lawyer in my thirties to improve my family’s financial situation, and I’ve managed that. But I still often regret being a lawyer. It is such a stressful…
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Jan. 20
Twyla, our little Teddy Roosevelt terrier, has a tan heart-shaped spot. The pointy bit tucks into her right hip crease, the rounded tops stretching over her right haunch toward the ridge of her wee backbone. You can see all kinds of shapes in her spots, like daydreaming stories from the clouds in a bright blue sky.