Category Archives: Family

If kitchen walls could talk

Remembering a kitchen – and thanking the parents that made it a home for me  By Christine Faria For years, a funky thermometer hung on the side of the refrigerator. From it, extended the wire that originally held it to … Continue reading

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Really? You don’t like my homemade cranberry sauce? Oh, yes, it’s Thanksgiving again

Really? You don’t like my homemade cranberry sauce? Oh, yes, it’s Thanksgiving again Last night, husband Jim told me that “everyone” preferred the store-bought jellied cranberry sauce over my homemade sauce. He’ll deny that he said it exactly like that. … Continue reading

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Traveling with the Ghosts of World War II

How two travelers from east bufu Reno connect with Nigerian priests, Bavarian beer drinkers and Syrian refugees and the ghosts of WWII My husband, Jim, and I are sitting at the kitchen table of friends, a couple of weeks ago, … Continue reading

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Remembering Our Fallen

I’ll never forget your smile: How we can honor the fallen and have compassion for our returning veterans this Memorial Day. It’s 1983, and a group of us teenagers are piled into the back of a small pickup truck. It’s … Continue reading

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The Journey of Spare Change, the Homeless and My Brother

“Can you spare some change?” the homeless man asked? “Sorry,” I say, “I’m looking for my brother.” My husband, Jim, and I were on East Fourth and Record Street, just a few blocks off casino row in downtown Reno. Known … Continue reading

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Wait a minute now … I thought you were dead

Last night I had a surprise visit by my mom. I’ve always thought of these nocturnal stopovers as a gift. Those of you who have lost someone will understand this. No matter how much you love someone, or are used … Continue reading

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A Conversation with Santa Claus

Santa: Ho, Ho, Ho Chris: Santa, is that you? Santa: Well, you called me right? Chris: Uh yeah. I just didn’t know if it would work. Santa: Whaddya’ mean? Chris: Well, my dad used to pick up our wall phone … Continue reading

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Another white trash Thanksgiving

How to cope with and celebrate, red Solo cups, in-laws and all! You may have heard me tell this story before, since it’s one of my favorites in family-bashing lore. A few years before my mom Maggie passed away, my … Continue reading

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The naked picture is finally retired

I place my nakedness behind another photo and press the metal tabs back into place. Will anyone find the tasteful (only a slight suggestion of dark nipple) boudoir picture I had done about 15 years ago?  Even if I publish … Continue reading

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People don’t want to hear about sex and herpes, do they?

Why sharing those things that embarrass us, can heal us…. “Chris, I liked the article you wrote for the paper,” my neighbor and friend Rob Anderson said. “Yeah, but just as I figured, they took out the mention of ‘herpes.’” (I … Continue reading

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