Family Night, Shamly-Night, Who needs Family Night?

Barbara’s spinning the recliner chair, again? I wonder what happened?

Post-Dinner Bliss

It is Wednesday at 6:27 pm. My belly content from a healthy dinner. My body hitting relaxation mode as I exit a clean kitchen. Like it never happened is our new family motto for the kitchen. That’s how clean it needs to look after breakfast, second breakfast, hot lunch, snack, tea time, and dinner. It’s working pretty well.

I pause as Stacey, my wife, wraps a block of frozen something in a kitchen towel to thaw overnight. I turn off the light.

With devilish excitement in my voice, as if suggesting dessert for breakfast, “jammies?” Stacey gives me the nod of approval.

Ohhh! I wonder what Jammy family night will be?? Read on!

Naptime with the Sweetness

A story about napping sounds lovely. What could possibly go wrong?

The Starting Block

I wipe the corners of my mouth. My half cup of minestrone soup and a half slice of whole wheat bread are but a delicious memory now. Thank you, the fifth decade of my life, for letting me know that portion-control is a thing.

I have come to that soft, quiet, pause after lunch. The kids are still doing homework. Stacey is reading with her “Come any closer and I’ll punch” Hulk sign up. The sun warms even the floorboards. No thoughts of chugging Diet Cokes or “what should I be doing now?” invade my brain. No, there are more important games afoot…

Sitting at the kitchen table, I can feel it coming. I let it completely envelop me. My body relaxes, agrees. Yes, it’s

ohhh, this sounds nice! can’t you envision some massage music in the background? Read on!

The Care Bear Police are gonna get me…

(PSST! If you just are here to get the Freedom Shower Download, click here! )

It was the middle of the night. I shot up in bed. They are gonna sue me, I know it. I snatched my phone to investigate.

I moved like a sloth into my “stealthy-web-searching-at-night position”: I lay down on my side, away from my wife. My elbow propped up.

up late at night? again? Is heidi esther gonna get busted? Read on, curious soul!

Love and Light Yoga Warrior: Rachel

So, if you touch anyone, just don’t be creepy about it.

Uh-oh! What has Heidi Esther gotten herself into this time? A slice of awesome, that’s what.

Rachel: Well, hello YOU! Come on in! How are you? It’s so good to see you!

A gregarious smile, chunky glasses, and wild, wavy brown hair, greet me as I walk into a local church lobby. I’m hidden in my hoodie, clutching my coffee. Yep, this was worth it.

Well, this rachel sounds pretty interesting. You betcha! Read on for the good stuff!

Welcome to the Sweet Life

It’s been two-and-a-half years since our lives changed.

August 2018

Two chestnut-brown eyes gaze into mine. Inches from my face, my heart pounding. My hands, sweaty. Could she be the one? Though I’ve just met her, my heart is swollen with love. In a place I didn’t know was empty; discarded. She is my missing piece.

Wait a cotton-pickin’ second! Isn’t Heidi esther already married to stacey? What’s going on here?

The Great Cup Experiment of 2019

I have to get on his email list. This dude is legit. Oh no, what is Heidi Esther in for this time?

Tribe Conference Day 3: Sunday.

If you want to know where I am, read this story first.

First speaker: Joseph Michael

Holy crap! This man is a miracle. With three kids at home and his mortgage past due, what does he do? He records tutorials for Scrivener in his car on lunch breaks. In no time, he makes so much that he quits his day job & lives happily ever after. Now he is a motivational speaker.

I have to get on his email list. This dude is legit.

what does this joseph guy have to do with heidi Esther?? He’s not even a writer!

Am I a writer? I don’t feel like one…

Somehow, this all feels so dangerous to me. Shouldn’t I be at a conference for professional fundraisers? What am I doing here?

October 2018, Nashville

Oh my god, Jeff is walking towards me. Should I say something?? He’s, like, in charge of this whole thing. The side of my nose starts to heat, and so does one side of my neck. Yes, I look like a giraffe when I get nervous. A gift from my fifth decade of life. Super. I look down and pretend to interest myself in a giant potted plant nearby. What waxy leaves you have…

“Jeff, hey! How’s it going?” says someone else.

My whole body relaxes. Saved by the bell.

man, Jeff souns like a celebrity!

The Loving Eye of the Heart-i-cane

Wow, Barbara. Your 13-year-old process of deduction while unconscious is most impressive.

Heart Attack Series 2 of 2. Read First Story Here.

4:28 am: The Hospital

We park in the ER lot. We don our masks and walk to the door in the cold, pre-dawn morning. I hold Stacey’s arm in her puffy green coat. Her whole body is trembling. This is bad.

5 paces in: the Check-in desk. As casually as a conversation about the weather, Stacey is asked her reason for the visit. She nods. I tell the woman her signs of a pre-heart attack. She writes it down on a ledger, types something, and looks back up. Could this woman move any slower?

stacey might die if this woman doesn’t hurry up her cursive!!

Just who do you think you are?

Written in honor of International Women’s Day 2021 #IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge

Hey amazing soul! You can CLICK HERE to see me read it on Facebook!

I am recovering woman.
  Watching the boys
    following His dreams.
"Wanna hear another dumb blonde joke?" 

I am recovering woman.
   Waiting for husband
     to come home from work
"I cannot live without you."

you bet this is a totally righteous poem! Read on, worthy soul!

Can you Dance in a Heart-i-cane?

What happens when Heidi Esther’s answer for everything – toast – doesn’t solve the problem? What else can she do?

(The Heart Attack Series, 1 of 2. Second Story coming March 10!)

A story, from Barbara

It’s the middle of the night. So, I’m sleeping, right? Minding my own business. Snuggled high in my Ikea loft bed under my Wiener-dog blanket and the crocheted one Stacey made me. She’s my step-mom. I’m thirteen years old. And I’m wearing my striped pajama pants with Christmas chihuahuas if you must know.

That’s when I woke up. From the scratching. What the heck? Like someone’s clawing at my window. I’m not scared; I’m the family member who picks up bugs and puts them back outside. Alive. So, I open my curtains.

what’s outside? read on, brave soul!