I learned a valuable lesson from online auctions. — I flip through the online photos, each assigned a number and code. Lot 232: A gilded frame surrounds a print of a young child with a fuzzy-coated kitten, the paper water-stained and creased in the top right corner. Lot 312: A small intricate wooden box is stamped with the country…

Putting down roots doesn’t always come easy — A year after we moved into our dream house, we realized the previous owner’s gardening aspirations far surpassed our own. With our new tractor, we moved small boulders and ripped out acres of weed cloth. We dug out the old growth and pulled barrels full of weeds. When it was…

I underestimated life with a Border Collie and that included her spay recovery. — Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy. Nothing is simple with this girl, I swear. She was spayed a week ago, and yet it feels like years have passed. “Just keep her still and calm for 14 days,” the after-care paperwork read. Our vet tech knew better. …

One woman escapes her glass prison. — Coco felt the car jerk and shudder beneath her feet. She tapped the brake gently and the vehicle lurched, coughed, and sputtered. A semi blew past at 75 miles per hour, sending the leaves and Coco’s small car to the side of the road. …

I wished someone had given me this advice before I found my haters. — I’m a storyteller by nature. My children will tell you they are scarred by the ridiculous cautionary tales I made up over the years. Even Christmas trees can come to life and maim children who try to steam the tape off their presents before December 25, just ask them. I…

A past kindness changed my life and had an unexpected ripple effect. — My daughter is a nurse, a fact of which I am immensely proud. At only 23, she has handled the children and the elderly, the fatally ill and the marginally injured alike, with expert care. …

Some stories are so ridiculous they can only be true. — I arrive at the restaurant to meet my friend, Bob, for lunch. He is late, so we immediately sit down and order our $3 “Chicks and Eggs” special with a couple of steaming cups of joe. Our chosen meeting place is ChickenHaus, a Garland staple, at least if the staple…

Three little words can mean so much between a parent and child. — Three little words. “I hate you,” she screamed in anger, a mere foot from my face. I took a deep breath and counted to ten for both of our sakes. Truthfully, I could have counted to ten thousand and I’m not sure it would have made a difference. My blood…

When falling in love failed, I tried to disappear into the clouds instead. — The breeze blows, whipping my dress around my calves. I stare up into the hazy afternoon sky, momentarily unaware of my surroundings. My head is in the clouds, my focus on the fluffy cumulus cotton interspersed with cerulean blue. A honk from a passing car alerts me that my dress…