As a relatively young person (26 years old) I have had little experience with doctors other than the occassional check-up. Most of my adult life, until this past year, was in the military and you only went to the doctor (what we called the "medical hobby shop") as a last resort. So, it was my first "real" experience being referred to a specialist earlier last week.

It all started when I went to my primary care physician early last week for my regular checkup. One...

Thinking of Anne's 1st kiss reminds me of my own. (The time in 5th grade didn't count, when a boy tried to kiss me and got a mouth full of hair because I hadn't noticed his efforts and turned my head at the wrong time.) My 1st real kiss occurred on a small island in the Azores, off the coast of Portugal, when I was 12 years old. My father was in the Air Force and we'd recently moved from upstate NY to lush green Terceira.

Picture green pastures squared off by low rock walls, sprinkled...

Ive always wondered why some people say that in their memories everything is black and white. I remember things very vividly and in color. Like how green the water hose was that ran in my grandads garden that grew between our houses. The colors of the honeysuckles that grew in the fence behind the house, and especially the smells. Like rain on a dirt road after a long hot spell, freshcut grass. I realized the other day that somewhere along the way I had gotten too busy, looking months into the future,...

My wedding anniversary is soon. The 24th (at least that's the day I'm sticking with. My marriage liscense would clarify it. But I'm just off by a day, if at all.) Hubby and I are getting away. A poor man's vacation, you might say... Having 5 kids makes it sort of hard. Not too many people, no matter how much they love us, are hankerin' to take them into their house for the weekend. So we have managed to trade houses. Tonight we will go to my SIL's house and she will come here. Tomorrow...

I was called that today, much to my chagrin. In the context in which it was used against me, I couldn't see why. But then good old doubt enters my mind.

Am I a hypocrite? No one here can answer that. What I portray on this site, people can only take at face value. They don't know the "real" me. They don't know me in real life. But again, it plays in my head ... am I or am I not?

Hypocrite .. the word echos in my brain. It's been bouncing around in there all...