Knowing Stuff

Somedays I wake knowing stuff I wish I didn’t. Like stingrays. Did you know they nestle into the sand along the coastal waters of Southern California? That’s a good spot for them to rest, away from predators, but if you inadvertently step on one, which is more and more common to do, it is indeed a very bad day for you. Most days I really wish I didn’t know these flat creatures lay camouflaged in the very shoreline where I want to splash about. On the other side of this coin of knowledge there’s stuff I’m delighted to know. Like how no matter how old you are, you’ll feel sixteen forever. Dramatic. Emotional. Sometimes silly. Sometimes confident. Sometimes volatile. All of it. Colliding within. In truth there is nothing real about aging, at least not your emotional being, not in anyway important to who you are inside. That creative and wild and impulsive and kooky and misstepping and driven girl is here to stay. That I’m glad to now know for sure.

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Blogging in 2025

What is December without a bit of introspection and reflection? To that end I generally take a moment to look back at the ideas generated over the year that populate my blog: Fashion, Food, Family…Life, each revealing a slice of my life. One can’t help but know for sure that it is indeed A Wonderful Life when each post points in that direction. Not that there haven’t been challenges, for how can one be a citizen with a heart, soul, and intellect, and not feel mournful for all the suffering caused by our current administration or the conflicts and disasters occurring across our globe? We have all had to find our tiny joys to face the day to day political-criminal onslaughts, but that’s the point, right? Fostering joy and hope to encourage inner resilience and easy compassion, that is what my blogging in 2025 seemed to direct.

The Rose bar on the Disney Destiny cruise ship

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Nine Cent Girl is 15!

This month marks year 15 for Nine Cent Girl. Nearly 700 posts being blasted out since my very first with many of you loyally reading along from the start. I am grateful to all who have reached out and let me know what my words mean to you. Writing is done in solitary fashion, with only one’s own thoughts and opinions and reactions and research to guide you. By hearing from friends and family, from other writers, and all the strangers who are now within my circle of correspondence, has made me so thankful for your messages. I remain buoyed by your support and am indebted by your continued readership. I did not enter this role knowing how wonderful it would be, but I am indeed beholden.

Woman with Balloons

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