Posted by Karen Zappavigna Hoogland | 0 Comments
Babies, Bongos and Remembering Dad
Although it is a week into January, this Christmas season keeps on giving! My “present” this Epiphany week came not from the Three Wise Men but instead came from our two grandsons when they were visiting with their parents (our son, Jeff, and his wife, Kristi) as we celebrated Jeff’s birthday. Several weeks before Christmas, I was at my parents old house and discovered that my dad’s old bongo drums were in danger of either getting thrown out...
Posted by Karen Zappavigna Hoogland | 0 Comments
See The Fly?
A common housefly can be a source of irritation. Or amusement and comfort. Growing up, my parents took my five siblings and I on many camping trips. On one of those adventures, a fly had gotten into the family tent. This turned into a contest of sorts when each of us would call out, “See the fly?” or “See the fly go by.” Quite silly, and still makes me laugh when I think about our dad saying these...
Posted by Karen Zappavigna Hoogland | 0 Comments
That First Kiss Revisited
I originally wrote a version of the following piece in my journal following the delivery of my oldest son. Today, I celebrate the 23rd anniversary of his birth. I reflect on what I wrote all those years ago and realize that many of my concerns were very real and worked themselves out in their own way and in their own time. I look at my oldest son, along with his two brothers, and I feel confident in writing that...
Posted by Karen Zappavigna Hoogland | 0 Comments
Ladies Home Journal: Dispelling Myths About IUDs?...
But because we live in an age of science, we have a preoccupation with corroborating our myths. ~Michael Shermer In the November 2011 issue of Ladies Home Journal, tucked a few pages after recipes for Sticky Buns, smart phone apps to give you dietary willpower and information on diabetes, there is an article called, “The Best Birth Control You’re Not Using.” The article is about IUDs (intrauterine devices). It is on page 146 for those who get the...
Posted by Karen Zappavigna Hoogland | 0 Comments
And Boys Will Be Men
You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your grandfather was. Abraham Lincoln This year has been one full of big changes in our household and family. This weekend I was looking through some old photographs and found many that were scout related. All of our boys joined Boy Scouts of America when they were in first grade. Our oldest is an Eagle Scout; the middle one reached the rank of Star; and the...