“Let’s get together for coffee sometime.” Here in Des Moines, that phrase is code for, “We’ll never get together for coffee.” Experience has taught me that the next step to schedule the coffee date almost never happens.
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After a meal, I’m like the Death Star. More precisely, my brain is in that moment that the Death Star goes down for the final count. As soon as I step away from the table, I imagine Luke Skywalker and the
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“Reptilian brain” seems to be the right term for that place where anger originates. It feels just that primordial—a response that’s immediate and seemingly involuntary. Whatever someone else did or said
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Depending on how well personalities match up, it sometimes takes extra finesse to travel with others. This was my third trip to Lima, and I’m so glad to report it was a great success. This time, I went with my
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Hear me out on this one. If you compiled a list of the sound effects of your life, what would be included? Too big a list? Let’s try a day, maybe it’s this day. What are the significant sounds?
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I’ve been playing Tell Me Another for Demo Nights over at Arkham Games in Ankeny, Iowa the last couple of Tuesdays, while also enjoying time with the game group that regularly meets there each week.
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It’s been a rough twelve months, the kind of slow slog when a series of difficult things occur in a delicate string of dominoes. You’ve probably had such a time. You felt worn down by the onslaught of stuff, one
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The little girl stands squarely on the porch in her small leather shoes. A toddler nearing 2, she is leaning against the wood slats of a house somewhere in North Carolina. The year is 1963. The light brown bangs
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As someone who can’t serve a meal for two to the table successfully, I’m in constant awe of those who deliver delicious spreads for larger gatherings, especially at catered events. This awe was the first of
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In the afterthought of an event, planner Shana Davison meets with her clients to go over what worked and what didn’t so that they can prepare to run the next event with greater success. As Shana explained
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Orchestrating an event—including anything from a small gathering to a major catered affair—is similar to writing a novel. You, the organizer, are crafting a story that unfolds with a clear beginning, middle and
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I admit, I wasn’t excited by the prospect of reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman when #thereallivesbookclub selected it for group discussion. I dreaded the sadness I was sure I
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Right this moment, sit or stand up as straight as you can and reach your arms up to the sky—and then, reach a bit further. Feels good, doesn’t it?
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Not to be a smarty pants, but you don’t know what you know until you know it. Of course, claiming what one doesn’t know is pretty easy—for me that feels like most everything. But what about knowing your
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You want a vacation. No. You need a vacation—a break from your daily routines, and the opportunity to step out and explore beyond the borders of your everyday life. But do you know what it is you seek in
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