Tag: marriage

Arizona Heat

Dori Owen

I never really minded the heat growing up in Arizona. It was just how it was. Cold in the winter and hot in the summer. When I met him, it was a hot summer day. At first, I was curious, and then the thunderbolt hit me. It hit him, too, Read more

Dori Owen

Dori Owen is a storyteller, writing from small town Arizona, after living a few decades in California as an LA Wild Child, with a brief stop in Reno. She settled into grownup life as a project manager, collecting an MBA and a few husbands along the way. She is a shown artist and her favorite pastime is upcycling old furniture and decor she finds from thrift stores. She lives with the cat who came to visit but stayed. The love of her life is her grown son who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her essays and poems have been published in RAW&UNFILTERED VOL I, StigmaFighters Vol 2, and Love Notes From Humanity. Her blogs have been featured on The Lithium Chronicles, Open Thought Vortex, Sudden Denouement, and The Mighty.

Walking Warriors

Mary Penner

One cane in each hand, she’s doing the best she can One foot forward, then a tap, she’s going to do a lap At ninety-three, she keeps on going, while knowing Her tomorrows are few, but she is determined to do What it takes to feel alive, so she continues Read more

Mary Penner

Mary Penner has written poetry since the age of ten. She has always enjoyed telling human interest stories through rhyme and has recently begun writing stories in prose form. For twenty-five, Mary was a social worker and educator specializing in family and school counseling. She taught in elementary schools and in universities where she designed and facilitated the Program Planning Course. Mary's poems have been published in three anthologies: including two of Polar Expressions Collections of Canadian Poetry: Let's Fly Away, in 2017; Overture, in 2016. Mary is also a contributing Author in We are the Wordsmiths: A Collection of Short Stories and Poetry, 2017 (Albatross Publishing). Also in 2017, Mary was one of the adjudicators of the South Simcoe Arts Council's Creative Works Writing Contest. Most recently, Mary wast the Audience Prompter in the play Saving Grace: A Victorian Melodrama by a fellow Wordsmith member.

A Letter to the Mistress, Who Invaded My Marriage

Ashton Saldana

A little over a year ago, you inserted yourself into my world. I never had the opportunity to sit down with you face to face and have a conversation like grown women are supposed to be able to do. I wouldn’t invite you to sit across from me so I Read more

Ashton Saldana

I am a blog writer on relationships, travel, spirituality and women's empowerment - while writing a book. I have endured quite a few trials and tribulations throughout my 31 years of life. Through it all, I continued to reach inside and find the mighty female power inside of me to turn all of my pain into power. I changed my outlook on my circumstances by living a life of gratitude and by truly discovering and falling in love with myself. Being authentic, I now live my life to the fullest. During my hardest of days I turned to writing. Writing became my therapy. Because I want to help others that might find themselves in similar circumstances, I decided to publish my work. I feel that my purpose on Earth is to share my challenges with others as a reminder that success and setbacks are opportunities to get others going - to the place that they are supposed to be.

Vlad

Ronna Russell

I’m not worried ‘Bout the ring you wear ‘Cause as long as no one knows then nobody can care You’re feelin’ guilty and I’m well aware But you don’t look ashamed And baby I’m not scared –“Follow Me” by Matthew Shafer and Michael Bradford Vlad gave his profile serious consideration. Read more

Ronna Russell

This chapter is an excerpt from my memoir "The Uncomfortable Confessions of a Preacher's Kid." No one escapes religious cults without sexual damage and I was no exception, nor was my father. He came out as gay in mid-life, as did my own husband decades later. The oppression of religion tentacled into my self perception and took decades to unthread. This chapter shows how I got started reconnecting to myself. While I had no difficulty leaving religion behind as a teenager, I had no experience interacting in the secular world, like a real-life Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt without the humor and good looks.

My Truths

Emily Miller

I am almost 42 years old, in the middle chapter of my life. Large volumes of experiences are now behind me, and large volumes are yet to come if I am lucky. I have been married for 18 years and started my marriage when I was a baby. I didn’t Read more

Emily Miller

Emily Miller passionately writes about her personal experiences and all things related to motorcycles. She is the mother of two spirited and inspiring children. Her husband accompanies her on many adventures but mostly on the adventure of life. Bend, Oregon is her hometown and you can find her actively volunteering and working in the community there. Follow her work of LifeofMoto.com

10 Reasons to Love, or Not Love, Valentine’s Day

Dori Owen

“Why is it no one sent me yet one perfect limousine, do you suppose? Ah no, it’s always just my luck to get one perfect rose.”―Dorothy Parker   IF YOU ARE SINGLE Lucky you. 1. You do not have to worry or fret about finding that perfect Valentine’s Day gift! Read more

Dori Owen

Dori Owen is a storyteller, writing from small town Arizona, after living a few decades in California as an LA Wild Child, with a brief stop in Reno. She settled into grownup life as a project manager, collecting an MBA and a few husbands along the way. She is a shown artist and her favorite pastime is upcycling old furniture and decor she finds from thrift stores. She lives with the cat who came to visit but stayed. The love of her life is her grown son who lives in Portland, Oregon. Her essays and poems have been published in RAW&UNFILTERED VOL I, StigmaFighters Vol 2, and Love Notes From Humanity. Her blogs have been featured on The Lithium Chronicles, Open Thought Vortex, Sudden Denouement, and The Mighty.

First Comes Love, Then Comes?

Deanna Keller

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Deanna pushing a baby carriage. Most of us grew up singing this little ditty in the schoolyard when our friends expressed their “love” for someone of the opposite sex. The expectation set forth as children was to “grow up, get married and Read more

Deanna Keller

Growing up under the hot Kansas sun, Deanna Keller spent many hours sitting under the apricot tree with her nose either in a book or writing in her scruffy notebooks, carefully composing stereotypically bad teenage poetry with a number two pencil. Exploring writing as an adult, she found her voice blogging about her observations and musings surrounding life under the pen name, Avie Layne, which she has done for the past five years. Additionally, she has been blogging for The Journey Seeker and has been a guest blogger for OMighty Crisis. Creative Writing classes at college opened her eyes to the idea of short stories for young adults and ignited new writing passion--many based on the stories of her parent’s poor childhood growing up in the Ozarks of Arkansas in the late 40s early 50s, while others have been based on her own crazy life. Deanna completed her undergraduate at The College of St. Scholastica in English I 2017. Taking a 1-year break, she will continue on to a Master’s in English then on to an MA-TESOL at Arizona State. She plans to pass along the love of reading and writing to future students and assist young writers in finding their own writing voice. Currently, she provides free community writing workshops geared towards journal and personal story writing. Deanna’s motto is, “Never let anyone prevent you from reaching for your dreams. The only failure is in not trying.”

Agony Column

Susan P. Blevins

Dear Glutton for Punishment, How much longer are you going to put yourself through hell with this man? You’ve been dating three years now, you’re 38, and he’s 54. No problem at all, except that you want to get married and have children, and he absolutely does not. He’s never Read more

Susan P. Blevins

Susan P. Blevins was born in England, and escaped at age twenty on her life quest, moving first to Italy for 26 years, and then to the USA, where she now lives. The older she gets, the more passionately involved she becomes in the world, and the more she wants to make a personal contribution. She believes that we can all make a difference, one hug, and one smile at a time.