Liz Flaherty's Blog

Friendship and Reminders = Thanksgiving

by Joe DeRozier Joe DeRozier It is Thanksgiving week! Life can be hard at times, and it can be difficult to not focus solely on our troubles. This week is a good time to see the good that is shining through... Steve was the Chef du jour at his restaurant when he saw Kathy and me at a table under the painting of Frank Sinatra. "Joe! I'm glad you're here. I have something for you." ... My "bad day" had started a full four hours before the clock struck midnight the previous night. It began with...

In Support of Dad Bods

by Charley Sutton Thanksgiving has come and gone, and Christmas is coming soon. The food left over from Thanksgiving dinner will get us through the weekend, but there seems to be nothing good to eat between Thanksgiving and Christmas after the leftovers are gone. Why? They sell turkeys all year round, but Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to be the only time we eat them. Dressing goes with the turkey, but I’d eat it at least once a month. The mashed potatoes are a dinner time staple, but corn...

Turkey, joy, and a small glass of beer

Quite honestly, I'm not sure when I wrote this, so if you've read it too recently to like reading it again, my apologies. The greatest gifts...the greatest reasons for Thanksgiving...are the people in our lives, and I'm so grateful for Aunt Nellie. She gave more richness to my life than I can ever explain. I'm posting today because tomorrow will start the annual Window Holidays Project, when I'll have a guest blogger every day I could get one between now and New Year's. I hope you visit every......

About Popularity

Okay, this is where I admit I just wrote almost a whole blog about being popular. Or not. Had I been writing on paper, it wouldn't have been worth the surface I wrote it on, so instead I just copied and cut and voila, it was gone. It was several paragraphs of self-serving crap no one should have been subjected to. You're welcome. However, now I don't have anything to say. Facebook has been busy for me this week, due to my inability to keep my posting mouth shut and due to political things...

You Know Who I Mean

Look for the helpers. - Fred Rogers It's November, so I'm all about gratitude and holidays and food (don't those go together great?) So on Wednesday, someone on Facebook asked if any of her friends were involved with "the cheese ball sorority." That would be Psi Iota Xi sorority. I didn't know much, although I'd bought a few cheese balls and eaten parts of several more. By yesterday I had learned that they make a lot of cheese balls. A lot. I don't have exact numbers. I don't have a list of...

They're the Parents of A Player

I wrote this in August of 1991, when my years on bleachers were winding down, and it's probably been my most repeated essay ever--especially since I drag it out from "under the bed" every few years about this time. It's a little dated, I guess, because it's been a long time, but I still think there's very little that's better than watching your kids be engaged, whether it's in sports, drama, debate, or anything else. There are things I'm sorry for from my active parenting days, things I wish...

The Loudest Voice

There’s beauty in not being the loudest voice in the room. - Elizabeth Warden I knew that. Really, I did, but sometimes I forget it. Because I have firm convictions and firm views on politics and I might be a little too convinced that everyone wants to know my opinion on things. Reading this quote in a very wonderful essay about age just made me think about it and try to decide what to do about it. What we should do about it. Truthfully, I don't think I usually AM the loudest voice, but I've...

Home by Nan Reinhardt and Me

I will begin this with Nan's post on our last day ... and a half ... and end it with being back home. Thanks to those who've journeyed with us this week.

Authors on the Road Day 4

After our obligatory hair appointment today, sporting curls on Nan and my usual flat-iron look on me, we went to lunch at Vinny Vanucchi's in downtown Galena. We had excellent service and excellent food and opted not to have one of the most decadent looking desserts I've ever forced myself to turn down. Only minutes later, we were in a candy shop and never mind what we were doing there. What happens in Galena stays in Galena. Then we went on the history part of the day, enjoying a long and...

Authors on the Road Day 3 by Nan Reinhardt

Well, kids, I’m tired, I’m brain dead after a day of writing and I’ve had too much wine (I blame Liz for that, although I poured it myself, but she could’ve stopped me.)  That’s me in my “writing sweater”–a very tattered sweater that once belonged to my sister Kate, who left us way too soon. I wear to write because it’s magic–words come when I have it on. I think they come in through the holes… I could be wrong about that, but I don’t think I am. It was a day of all writing all the time. We...