Christmas Champions: Ho, Ho Happy!

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher December has only just begun, and the joy of Christmas is already well underway!  I’ve heard a lot from my friends about their Christmas wishes – time with family and friends, a new household appliance (I question that), a break from the daily grind (I get that),...

Talking Turkey

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher Every few years or so, the idea of me actually cooking a significantly sized foul rears its ugly head.  I thought I had clearly and succinctly obliterated this lofty notion, but somehow, every so often, the idea of me trying to prepare a turkey around this time of year...

Life Without a Manual

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher It continues to perplex me that as we reach particular milestones in life, there are no instructions.  No booklet, no pamphlet, no next chapter that says “this is how you deal with this situation as it’s coming.”  Nada. I felt like that when I had Kassidi.  Sure,...

The Daylight Saving Dilemna

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher Seems like just when I get my groove going, something changes that stops me cold.  This time of year, it’s this falling back situation with the time.  Yes, I know it’s coming, but it still feels like a freight train has run smack dab into my mojo.  Granted...

A Bundle of Joy – or Two

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher I was quite certain my days of going to the OB for prenatal check ups were over, but a week or so ago, I found myself right back there at Dr. McDonald’s office listening for the heartbeat of an unborn baby – times two! Praise the Lord it’s not me birthing the twins...

Kindness Begets Kindness

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher I truly believe kindness begets kindness.  If you come into a situation hot, you’re going get burned.  But, if you approach the same situation – regardless of the issue – with kindness, you’ll likely get kindness returned. Now there are those circumstances where...

Porch People

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher Mornings are my nemesis.  I’m convinced I should have created a noon to midnight gig to more effectively sail through this thing called life, but with babies, a beau and a business, that was never really an option.  There is literally nothing I like about the early...

Rule Breaker

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher Seems like as each year goes by, more rules pop up.  It’s downright perplexing to me that in our society based on freedom of speech, freedom to bear arms, freedom to vote that more and more rules rear their ugly heads.  Now I’m not saying that all rules are bad –...

The Birthday Cake Conundrum

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher Well, I did it.  I threw all caution to the wind and embarked on an activity that is definitely not in my wheelhouse.  But in my defense, it was Mr. Kaminski’s birthday, and I was trying to be sweet about it.  Sweet – another thing not exactly in my wheelhouse. I...

Breaking Badly

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher I tend to break things.  I don’t know why; it just happens.  It’s a hodge podge of this and that – these things I tend to break.  Plus, I also fall – a lot.  It’s not that I’m particularly clumsy, at least I don’t think so.  It’s just that I move with...

The Value Proposition

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher Values is a word I used frequently raising my babies, primarily in the spiritual and moral realm.  They were the basic principles one would expect – integrity, loyalty, kindness, work ethic, honesty, service, common sense – those meritorious standards of behavior, or...

Island Time

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher Island Time is a thing, and I for one, am not here for it.  I tend to view things black and white by nature, and the entire concept of Island Time is extremely gray.  And worse, it varies depending on who you ask.  It’s downright maddening for a girl who has an...

Trans-Svelte

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher I am completely and thoroughly worn out from fighting this battle of the bulge.  I’ve been at it nearly two years now, and I am over the struggle.  Sure, I’m down over 30 pounds, and my doctor loves that, but I am helplessly, permanently, diabolically stuck with...

Moody Blue

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher I was always taught not to use four-letter words.  Most of the four-letter words that I knew in my child mind were not always the most appropriate to use.  Sure, there was damn and hell and such, but those words are in the Bible, so if they are good enough for Jesus,...

The Cee Cee Factor

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher Growing up Mother was always particular about my friends and associates.  It was the “influence” conversation that I not only can quote verbatim, it’s the same conversation I had with my babies.  “So-and-so is a not a good influence.  You can’t hang out with...