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Rumspringa: If only every parent possessed the open mindedness of the bad ass Amish

I admire the hell out of the Amish. Not for their rejection of modern day technology. That’s insane. When humankind deflects the next planet-killing asteroid from striking the Earth, the Amish can thank their lucky stars that most people moved beyond the horse and buggy a while ago. No, my admiration is born from the…

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My unconventional advice for the expecting parent (or the less experienced parent)

My friend is expecting her first baby next month. She asked me for my thoughts on parenting.  Here is my truth. When Elysha was pregnant, people warned us about how difficult parenting an infant would be. We wouldn’t sleep for the next two years. We wouldn’t see a movie for the next five years. We…

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Matthew Dicks’s rider

Back on October 10, 2013, my friend, Heather Clow, listed her proposed rider if she were ever to become a performer. I thought this was an amusing idea, so on October 12, 2013, I commented on her blog post, writing, “I love this idea! I’m going to make my own rider!” Just 3,165 days later,…

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Owl hunters interrupt fiction writer’s flow

In case you didn’t know what an owl hunter looked like, here are two are in the flesh. Note the uniform:  Pajamas. Straw hat or beach pail worn as helmets. Rain boots. Each is also equipped with a mode of transport (scooter or tricycle) and a flashlight.  In this training run, I served as the owl. Lights…

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My six-year old daughter understands the nature of religious texts better than many Republican candidates

On Yom Kippur, my six year-old daughter attended services at the local synagogue. As part of the service, the rabbi gathered the children and told them the story of Jonah and the whale. This is actually a story that can be found in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim texts.    The rabbi told the story as if…

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A character from The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs comes alive. Seriously.

If you’ve read my latest novel, The Perfect Comeback of Caroline Jacobs, you’ll know that the book opens on a memorable scene in a PTO meeting. What you might not know is that there is a nonfictional character living within that scene. Eric Feeney, identified in the book as a father of twins daughters and…

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Pulling loose teeth just got more profitable. And strange.

The latest parenting craze is pulling your child’s lose tooth with a drone. There are hundreds of videos demonstrating this new dental practice on YouTube, including this one. My initial thought was that this is a ridiculous and stupid idea, but then I saw the number of views of the video (almost half a million)…

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God doesn’t want you to dress up in order to worship him. In fact, he would prefer that you dress down.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you probably know that I am a reluctant atheist. I would like to believe in God (perhaps a kinder and gentler God than the Old Testament version) and have faith in an afterlife, but up to this point, I have not found the capacity to do so.   …

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My daughter’s first homework assignment: First steps on a rotten road

It’s my daughter’s first homework assignment.  She didn’t mind doing it. She said it was easy. It took five minutes. Her brother sat with her in solidarity. Still, she has begun a journey that will not be fun. A journey that her father despised. A journey that many kids despise. A journey that most rationale…

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