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Until the national story broke, I didn't know anything about him. The things that have happened since then are just fascinating. The truth truly is stranger than fiction.

I do have to say I appreciate the open-road tolling when we're driving back and forth between PA and MN. :)

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He definitely seemed to go about his job like he was "entitled" to these perks. Amazing how some people view themselves and their importance. [sigh] Around here, we're giddy about getting rid of our governor and welcoming our new one. Woohoo!

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It's WEEK 2 Here at the Corporate Mommy Speedway and again, we have 20 amazing comments to choose from (disallowing relatives, myself, spammers, and the odd sheep). Drumroll, and... Congratulations, REBECCA!!...

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That? Is a sheep. Yes, because I was jealous of Kate's sheep. But this is a special sheep. This particular sheep, at least its image, belongs to Tim and the whole picture is so much cooler than that snapshot. Why...

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Still kind of new to FB, have not been de-friend, but have wanted to de-friend a couple of my daughters friends. They seem to have nothing better to do that update their status about what they are eating, watching on tv and one in particular saying random stuff which makes no sense to me.

I have been trying to connect and network on FB, but so few of my friends are on, just seems like all I do is check on my child and her friends.

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I've been watching all day, waiting for the announcement. Is that macabre? I used to support Blagojevich. I mean, he had to be better than what we had before - right? Not so much. I've been angry for a long...

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I'm another FB addict--I've only had one friend (that I noticed) "de-friend" me, but it was a mistake, and she added me again. Other than that, I haven't had much of an issue with it.

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Kathi Kamen Goldmark is looking for stories from authors of all genres for a book she and her husband Sam Barry are finishing. It's a non-fiction book based on their monthly column on writing (found at bookpage.com) and Kathi's looking...

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My first de-friending was from my cousin, an actual relative with whom I share DNA. I was a bit taken aback, but he was still talking to me at the family Christmas party, so I suppose it's one of those kid things I don't understand.

However, a friend admitted that he de-friended me for the free Whopper.

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Literary Reflections is pleased to present our featured writing prompt response from January. We asked, "Have you ever felt torn between the demands of work and domesticity and your personal need to create and write? What mountain did you...

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I agree - FB has its roots as a networking agent for, specifically, incoming college kids. Will the norms mature as the age range does? I don't know. The more I ask, the more I find that the ability to de-friend anonymously is considered sacrosanct. Maybe it seems so weird to me because my social networking skills are so different than what they were then? Or because I'm so used to transparency? I don't know. But you're right - it does catalyst an interesting dynamic.

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And this would be why I've resisted Facebooking for so long. I think that it would awaken my inner 12-year old with a vengeance, and I don't want to have to delve back into all of that.

As more and more users are older than Gen Y, I wonder if some different etiquette norms are going to emerge for these places? I suppose time will tell, but it'll probably be a long enough process that social networking will become passé, and the real concerns will be about ... whatever the new thing will be (not enough of a visionary to ...

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I understand, I do! I've been de-friended several times...does that say something about me? I hope not. I've also received friend requests from the girl who stalked me in college, the collegue in another school that I don't LIKE, and random strangers. Yet, I keep going back. It's a terrible addiction.

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Thanks, R :)

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You know how you do something, and you think you're all great with yourself, and then... and then... someone does it cooler? Well, Kate gave away a SHEEP for her "C'mon along and comment giveaway." I.Am.So.Jealous. But she's awesome....

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I've been spending time on Facebook lately. So, duh, what else is new? I'm still all gosh-gee-whiz about the mix of high school, corporate, real life, and online contacts all gathered in one place. It sort of feels like how...

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I do not have an answer for you - I keep a written journal, but I intend it for my son to read, so it's heavily edited.

I would hide what you want/need to.

Rebecca U.

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UPDATE: EXTENDED DEADLINE APRIL 15, 2009 As memoir continues to expand in popularity, motherhood memoir has become an increasingly prominent and lucrative subgenre for contemporary authors. As Michelle Herman points out in The Middle of Everything: Memoirs of Motherhood, if...

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I have to admit, I'm glad not to have to worry about keeping him up. It's impossible to "Cough quietly"!!

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Sometimes, I watch those commercials for Lysol or Fabreze and wonder if there was a product like that for life - would I use it? Blogs seem to fall into two groups - the anonymous, outrageous ones where people are...

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I hope you are getting better. Its's awful to feel bad but great your two loves will nurse you back to health. Take care!!!

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I cannot remember exactly the time but I was around 8. Take into account that I have an older sibling who was 10 at the time and for very short periods. I was way more mature than my brother, ha! I think I was the one babysitting him.

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I hope you get better soon! Ahh and I just saw Xmen for the gazzilllion time with the kids and Hugh Jackman is my pretend celeb boyfriend as well! Good time to be sleeping and thinking about him, while CD nurses you back to health!! Just an idea... wink>)

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You know how, when you're really sick, you can't even read? You basically slip between sleeping and watching TV? That's been me since Saturday....

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I'm so sorry you're not feeling well, Elizabeth! Hopefully you'll bounce back soon!

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My kids are now 12, almost 11 & 9, and I probably started letting them stay home for say, 45 min to an hour, about a year ago. I try not to do it often, but it's so nice to be able to run out without hauling all of them with me.

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I was probably 8, I don't really remember the actual first time. When I was 10 I baby sat a 3 and 5 year old every afternoon from 3-6PM. In 1959 when I was 11 1/2 my parents left me home alone for the whole weekend when they went to Massachusetts for my brother's graduation. My mom told me that my aunt and grandmother didn't love me and found me a burden to be around. They didn't have any room for me to stay with them and if I went then she and my dad and two sisters - wouldn't ...

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You're sick? Oy! The Hubs and I sleep in separate beds when we're sick as well. Hope you feel better soon!!!!

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I don't remember when I first stayed by myself, but I think 8 is probably about right. I'm the oldest of three, so starting when I was about 12 all three of us were left alone together (youngest would've been 7).

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On this side of the bed, there is: - Me (pink nightgown, ratty hair) - Box of Puffs with Aloe - Jar of Vicks - iBook G4 on a breakfast tray - Pink Razr phone (for calling CD and asking...

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Huh - there's a legal age for being left alone? Not surprising when I think about it, I suppose, but not something that I'd ever have thought of on my own.

I think I was probably in the range of 6-8 when I first spent time alone at home - I remember coming home on the bus and letting myself in if my mom was going to be out picking up my brother (he went to a different school, one which didn't have bus service.) It would be a hard thing to do the first time - I'm sure my ...

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By the time I went to bed last night, I felt like someone had poured concrete into my brain and it had dripped and hardened all the way down to my sinuses. I may not even brush my teeth today....

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I struggle with this too. Heard that in my state, 7 is the "legal" age kids can be left alone. I didn't let Caleb play outside by himself until he was 6, but let Eli at 4. It's hard to know.

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DIARY OF A WIMPY KID by Jeff Kinney. - 3 books plus the do it your self journal.

Magic Tree House books. Mary Pope Osborne.

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If you're interested in parenting and politics, check out my new blog, FPOTUS (First Parents of the United States), which follows the Obamas as they raise their daughters in the White House and make decisions that affect life in all...

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If you're interested in parenting and politics, check out my new blog, FPOTUS (First Parents of the United States), which follows the Obamas as they raise their daughters in the White House and make decisions that affect life in all...

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I did something this morning that I'm still conflicted about. We're temporarily living with one car. By and large, this means no car for me and Bear because CD usually has to be at work on the south side of...

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I want to thank all y'all readers, lurkers, commenter. It ain't easy coming back from the dead. OK, enough chit-chat. Down to the nitty gritty... There were 20 unique comments from last Friday until midnight last night. I created a...

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You are far nicer than I am. I force myself to clean up after myself and the kids, his stuff is his problem. If I get sick of it before he does, I dump it in his closet or his car.

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I try not to think that I have a choice about loving or hating housework. It just is and must get done (and my tolerance for "done" definitely does not mean a very clean house -just one that is tolerable to me). It is just like combing my hair or putting on clothes. Something I must do and there really is not something to love or to hate.

I do however try to find things that make it be less of a chore and I do like flylady's one step at a time message. She did help me get ...

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Where we lived when I was a teenager. My room is the 2nd floor window facing left. Before I quit my job to be a SAHM, I was constantly cleaning. A walk from the front of the house to...

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Thanks, Liz. What great criticism. I could just say that I use call-outs and such to make my writing easier to read but you're probably right that they are crutches :)

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That was a great clip. I like that you are using less italics and parentheses in your writing as the entries go on. Some are useful and add emphasis but too many are distracting and seem like you're trying too hard (maybe I'm alone in thinking that though). Your words are almost always strong enough to stand on their own. Otherwise, it's good to see you writing so much.

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GO TO INTHEMOTHERHOOD.COM & SHARE New Network Comedy Series Will Feature Stories Inspired By Viewers’ Life Experiences From play dates and daycare to stretch marks and potty training, ABC wants to hear about your poignant, hilarious, emotional and even...

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Wow. Bear is absolutely right and you had me in tears by the end of the post. Loving that you are back!!

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This reminds me of an article in the Washington Post a few weeks ago about a poet who teaches grade school kids to write slam poetry:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/14/AR2008111401691.html

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I just got to share....

One sunny day an old man approached the White House from across Pennsylvania Avenue , where he'd been sitting on a park bench. He spoke to the U.S. Marine standing guard and said, 'I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.'

The Marine looked at the man and said, 'Sir, Mr. Bush is no longer president and no longer resides here.'

The old man said, 'Okay' and walked away.

The following day, the same man approached the White House and said to the same Marine, 'I would like to go in and meet with President Bush.'

The ...

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Reading. Writing. For these skills, more than anything else. This is why I wake up every morning and stretch out, breath deep, and report to work at the dining room table. My son can't (YET) read at grade level. He's...

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I also found it offensive AND inappropriate. I don't respect him jabbing ONCE AGAIN at white people for always doing wrong - coincidentally the VERY SAME white people who did 'embrace what is right' and elect a black president. He obviously wasn't elected by blacks and other minorities alone. It is tiresome and aggravating. Either we have a new day or we don't. Either we're making progress or we aren't. I appreciate it's been hard for him - in ways I can never understand. But couldn't he enjoy this amazing moment and stop haranguing us because there's still a ways ...

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I think the main change is a tweak to the lip color (skin color possibly, but Obama's lips are typically darker than his skin by a few significant shades - by pinking it up, it makes him look quite different.) When you zoom in, his nose looks pretty much like his normal nose, though I'm sure there was some wacky photoshopping there, too.

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It was. It was offensive, and outrageous, and demanding, and unrepentant. That's why I appreciated it so much - this guy has been using this chant for a long time. He stood with MLK. He had his property confiscated by the state of Alabama for libel because of his civil rights work. He had the last word and the world's attention - literally - and he used it to say - "we aren't there yet, and I am still waiting for that day..."

I don't know if I agreed with his words, but I respect the heck out of him saying ...

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Am I the only one who keeps expecting that deep voice announcing everyone at everything to break out and say "Live! From New York! It's..." ?? Mamacita has a long, cool, post full of fun Inauguration Trivia at   Scheiss...

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Interestingly, that's the ONLY part I didn't like. Found the little jab at the end kind of offensive.

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I think a nose job and something to his hairline. Something not good.

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"Lord, in the memory of all the saints who from their labors rest, and in the joy of a new beginning, we ask you to help us work for that day when black will not be asked to get in...

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Besides tweaking his skin color, did they give him a nose job? Or are my eyes playing tricks on me?

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The strangest thing happened last night. I got an email for curriculum materials for Bear, that included this picture: You tell me, doesn't it look like they made Mr. Obama a little...well...what's the appropriate word here? It doesn't look like...

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Bear leaped into bed with me this morning and said "Happy Inauguration Day!!" As though it was a special holiday. And, I guess, it is. I was talking to a friend this morning and neither of us could remember...

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Happy Inauguration Day! I'm so glad I'm not the only one who keeps getting teary-eyed.

Call me when you get a chance

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"Racism isn't born, folks, it's taught. I have a two-year-old son. You know what he hates? Naps! End of list." - Denis Leary "We are the rainbow people of God! We are unstoppable! Nobody can stop us on our march...

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Found your blog by accident about a year ago. I have found your words and experiences comforting and since some of them paralleled some of my life experiences. It will be nice to see your thoughts expressed. I envy you and your ability to convey your thoughts and emotions through the written word. Please blog on. And as many have said no compensation is required.

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I just checked. I added you to my favorites on my birthday in 2005. Glad you will be posting more. I have been at home with my pre-teen daughter 6 months now. So I want to know..what do you see outside your house besides what Bear does? (No cheating from current events either) I got to go to 'town' with my family and visit the local college campus. I felt like some 85 year old aunt being taken for a ride. I was sooo glad to get out. What about you?

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I've never been in the position to make a ton of money, nor has my husband. But we did make the decision that I would be a stay at home mom, and that has certainly brought its share of financial struggles.
We shop at Aldi, too. :)

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I've never been in the position to make a ton of money, nor has my husband. But we did make the decision that I would be a stay at home mom, and that has certainly brought its share of financial struggles.
We shot at Aldi, too. :)

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I wrote a post last summer for the Chicago Mom's Blog last year about shopping at Aldi's. A couple of months ago, a Wall Street News reporter came looking to interview me because of it. Because writing about how to...

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Our upcoming anthology, Motherhood and Domestic Violence (working title), will explore the complexities of mothering in a violent home through stories, essays, and poems written by survivors. Women with children experience domestic violence on two levels ~ Besides the...

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well, I am just glad you are going to be writing 30 posts in 30 days. Great for you, and so glad the wait is over.. I have missed you!!! I apologize in advance but could not possibly be of any help with the kind of feedback you are looking for, though.

Every time I see you have posted is a thrill for me to read you and I love everything you write. I guess I love and respect you too much as a lovely person to even try to be an objective critic of the writing alone ... I ...

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Hi, E. It brings tears to my eyes to see your little boy thriving and fighting back again and again. I am sure he gets that from his awesome mommy!!! You and CD must be very proud.

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Just before he turned 8, Bear started contact sparring in tournaments. Martial Arts is all new to me - it's only through Bear's interest that I'm learning about it. And I just don't think I can explain what it was...

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So glad you're back. No reward needed. I check your site regularly to see if there's anything new. Now there will be and I'm happy!

And I think the writing will come more easily the more you do it - just have to get those joints limbered up again.
WELCOME BACK!

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Fiction coeditor Suzanne Kamata's new book is now available for preorder! Call Me Okaasan: Adventures in Multicultural Mothering, is an anthology of twenty essays by emerging and established writers on raising children across two or more cultures. It includes...

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NO bribe needed. I'm so glad to see you back... however, not green, go blue! Or if that it too much, PURPLE!!! My Elizabeth would just love it and your mom would HATE it. Too much fun!
Love you lots

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"Now it's time to the fun/agonizing stuff" - I think you missed a word, or meant to replace 'to' with 'for' there. (Feel free to revoke the call for editing any time - my virtual red pen is a bit too hot to trot. :) )

And there's no need for giveaways, though if it makes things feel more Real and Official for you, go for it. Looking forward to seeing what comes in the coming days!

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Hee! Especially the Big Bird part - how rumors get started ...

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Cheesy attention grabber: !!FREE GIVEAWAY!!...

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Mia was very concerned that the birds were hurt. I admit we told her they just needed a couple of band aids.

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"Did you here about the plane?" "Yeah! Everyone survived. It's amazing." Little voice from the back of the van: What plane? "The captain made a once-in-a-lifetime landing." "I know - amazing, right?" "And made sure everyone got off before he...

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I have a bad case of ennui. I'm fighting a cold, and have spent too many hours in front of the keyboard. The combination has made me sore, sneezy, and unwilling to battle the little crap life flings at me....

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Some days are like that. Even in Australia.

(I have a great receipe for slow cooker pot roast I'd be happy to share.)

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I woke up to an interesting mailbox. The Case of the Novice Newspaper First of all, my daily drop from my local newspaper informed me that the blizzard warning had been dropped. OK. That's gotta be good news - right?...

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Title of Event: The Maternal is Political When: Saturday, January 17, 2009 7:00 PM Location: BookWoman: 5501 N. Lamar Blvd. #A-105, Austin, TX Celebrate the inauguration with a night for unruly mothers (and the people who love them) at Texas's...

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I found this old picture while cleaning up my archives. Those jeans? Are paisley. I'll give you a minute to wipe the milk out of your nose. Almost as bad as the fact that I bought, and wore, and thought...

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Although far from done, I see a light at the end of the tunnel. And it's not a train. Disturbingly, I was looking at a magazine article the other day and began imagining how it would be coded if I...

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Definitely the girl next door that all the boys had crushes on. :)

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Not even close, babe. Your teen years look happy, wholesome, and super-cute. Horrid has not touched you. Be glad.

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Helen has declared it "International Internet Reveal Your Horrid Teenage Years Picture Day". It would be crazy to go along with this - and I wouldn't - but a) I happened to be organizing my backups and found some old...

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And get it into print with the help of published personal essayist and Literary Mama columnist Amy Mercer. You’ve seen her by-line in Skirt! Learn how to write your story and how to sell it! Mondays at: 7:00 till 8:30...

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Becoming a mom changes everything; whether your children are toddlers or teens, they provide daily stories and deepen the emotional well from which we write. This ten-week workshop aimed specifically at moms explores how to incorporate our own lives...

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Poetry,Prose, and Visual Art Contest for new Mamapalooza Magazine Call for submissions, on the topic "Moms Gone Mad," of poetry, prose (creative nonfiction or fiction) and visual art (photographs, drawings, paintings). Winners will receive publication in the premiere issue of...

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Hey, I can read your blog! The words are where they're supposed to be!
I say, good for you--I know nothing about codes, HTML whatever, NOTHING. So I respect that you're willing to learn.

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Not necessarily. pass4sureYou and your big mouth.,000-015Suits you well. That color looks really good on you. It suits you well.,642-503Think it over.,642-524Why didn't you say so!,642-587What's wrong now? .,190-841Don't be a copycat!,190-800Don't rush me. I'm on it! Don't rush me.,000-139Talk about it next time.,642-453Enough! Shut up.,642-481please it's your birthday. My treat.,640-816That's too good to be true.,VCP-310Just shoot me.,000-111That depends..

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Walking the tightrope. If you've visited lately (despite my radio silence) you have probably noticed that I'm editing live. It's a long story why. Don't I have a program in which to build this site before uploading? Why yes, yes...

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If you're looking for parenting news, you can keep up with DotMoms on Twitter, by following the tweets updated regularly with new headlines. If you're looking for momoirs or other ways to connect, check out The Motherhood. Happy New Year!...

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If you're looking for parenting news, you can keep up with DotMoms on Twitter, by following the tweets updated regularly with new headlines. If you're looking for momoirs or other ways to connect, check out The Motherhood. Happy New Year!...

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The next session of "The Mindful Writer: Cultivating Your Fearless Writing Voice" begins Thursday, January 15, 2009. Classes meet in North Berkeley from 7:00 — 9:30 p.m. and run for ten weeks; the cost is $275 for the entire...