HOME | totefishing

All Posts
Pandemic
Parenting
Working Mom & Career
Musings & Advice

Jul 29

Day 127: 15 pounds and a 4-week vacation, you say?

First off, do NOT say anything about the lapse in my posts. I have no excuse. Other than it's busy raising two teenagers, maintaining a c...

6 viewsWrite a comment

Day 7: Off-gassing broccoli & mini trampolines

Deborah

Mar 23

Day 7: Off-gassing broccoli & mini trampolines

Oh, the interesting things you never noticed before that you learn during a pandemic. 1. Broccoli is a miracle vegetable, right? Packed w...

53 views1 comment

Deborah

Mar 20

Day 4: Oil pulling & stress management

Disclaimer: Tonight was wine night. (My husband broke out a bottle from storage and claimed, "What are we waiting for? The end of the w...

56 viewsWrite a comment

Day 3: Mundane Life as a Covid-19 Pandemic Shut-in

Deborah

Mar 19

Day 3: Mundane Life as a Covid-19 Pandemic Shut-in

Yes, I'm back on the blog. Why? Mostly because I don't trust Facebook. And it feels like cheating if I cut-and-paste the same email to a...

51 views2 comments

Deborah

Aug 27, 2018

Mean people, please don't be mean to me

In a week that included a root canal AND and a botched attempt to remove a blackberry thorn from my finger (resulting in a staph infection a

57 viewsWrite a comment

I spent Friday on an LAPD Human Trafficking Operation. You?

Deborah

Jul 23, 2018

I spent Friday on an LAPD Human Trafficking Operation. You?

Yup. Just like on television. But unlike tv, 48 hours later, I still trying to process the overwhelming reality of poverty, violence and h

102 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Jul 6, 2018

That's right -- my Lady Blog is back!

This email is specifically targeted to the 193 trusty readers of my old blog. Some of you (okay, 2 of you that I can name) asked, over ...

50 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Nov 9, 2015

How to build a tower everyone likes?

Visiting Watts Tower Sculpture in Los Angeles is a must do for anyone wanting to be creative... but feeling daunted by the prospects of how

31 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Sep 2, 2015

Simple Rules for Monday Nights

Born out of real-life experience, here is what I suggest you do on Monday nights: 1.) Don’t order a caffe latte at the restaurant at 9:3...

37 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Aug 11, 2015

Inspiring me to enjoy "Growing Up"

Just stumbled over Mackelmore & Ryan Lewis' newest song, "Growing Up." It's quite lovely when a young man gets all soft about his baby. ...

22 viewsWrite a comment

Happy Mother's Day: The "Real Cards of an LA Mom"

Deborah

May 11, 2015

Happy Mother's Day: The "Real Cards of an LA Mom"

In case the start-up business doesn’t pan out, I’ve got my next career at Hallmark all tee’d up: CARD #1 to Me (from my kids): Roses are ...

38 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Apr 9, 2015

Creating Innovators by Tony Wagner

CREATING INNOVATORS by Tony Wagner A must-read for all modern-day parents who hope to instill the qualities needed for their children to ...

29 viewsWrite a comment

Going Rogue in the Closet: The Companion Guide to Decluttering

Deborah

Mar 16, 2015

Going Rogue in the Closet: The Companion Guide to Decluttering

As a self-annointed devotee, I have pitched unrelentingly the awe-inspiring merits of the newly-translated book, "The Life-Changing Mag

46 viewsWrite a comment

My whacky, Japanese-Style, decluttered New Year

Deborah

Jan 9, 2015

My whacky, Japanese-Style, decluttered New Year

According to Marie Kondo, a life is best-lived uncluttered and surrounded only by the things that bring joy. Undeniable, right? Who isn'

51 viewsWrite a comment

Newsflash: Mom lets kids "own the tree!"

Deborah

Dec 24, 2014

Newsflash: Mom lets kids "own the tree!"

Enthusiastic Kids: 1 Controlling Perfectionist Mom: 0 Actually, that zero is probably just one in a million (as in Mom: 1,000,000) but h...

31 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Nov 15, 2014

A "Feel Good" Friday

Here’s a story that brought tears to my eyes: “Students Build a Better Home for Wounded Solider Who Couldn’t Get Around His House.” (Huff...

38 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Nov 11, 2014

Better get living while you’re alive

The constant chorus throughout my days — and in the days of many of those around me — is that life is busy and stressful & we’re not acco...

35 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Nov 5, 2014

Don’t Wake Me, I’m working!

After 10+ years of being bombarded by doctors-cum-celebrity-authors that my children need sleep (“Without sleep, your child won’t go to c...

40 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Oct 13, 2014

Job Titles NOT to give yourself

2014 is nearly over. Digital sophistication is at its highest and yet, people are giving themslves dumb titles on their Linked In resume...

48 viewsWrite a comment

Deborah

Sep 19, 2014

Pressure to Prezi

What’s a Prezi? That’s what I said when my daughter (age 10) came home from school last April and said “Mom, we learned Prezi today!” My...

1 viewWrite a comment

{"items":["5f20c58b3ab56c00175f80dc","5e783787a72b500017e1723a","5e73ae9a0d122b0017a38f3c","5e7341b0d3e13c00176de026","5e72ed57c0675200179b498b","5e72ed57fd4799001858e4f6","5e72ed57149deb00177176bf","5e72ed57d9b5620017f09597","5e72ed57be44750017e20ab1","5e72ed57d5bb8d00175ed47a","5e72ed573c390d00171db288","5e72ed578bd4ab001725d79d","5e72ed578eb8f50017fc5ea4","5e72ed57bb663c001797ca0f","5e72ed5748ec0e0017001ba2","5e72ed578eb8f50017fc5ea3","5e72ed5704f9dc001756f5d0","5e72ed57c6cfc600176b1e59","5e72ed578bd4ab001725d79e","5e72ed571024bd0017643d55"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fill","cubeRatio":1.3333333333333333,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":940,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":16,"galleryMargin":0,"floatingImages":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":1,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCubeRatio":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":1,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":4,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"useCustomButton":false,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_ON_THE_RIGHT","galleryHorizontalAlign":"center","galleryTextAlign":"center","galleryVerticalAlign":"center","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"expand","fullscreen":true,"allowSocial":true,"allowDownload":false,"allowTitle":true,"allowDescription":false,"loveButton":true,"loveCounter":false,"videoPlay":"hover","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","scrollDirection":0,"overlayAnimation":"FADE_IN","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowTitleExpand":true,"allowDescriptionExpand":true,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"NEVER_SHOW","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"AUTOMATIC","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":0,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"textsVerticalPadding":0,"textsHorizontalPadding":-30,"titleDescriptionSpace":6,"customButtonText":"","customButtonBorderWidth":1,"customButtonBorderRadius":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":1,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":"1","videoLoop":true,"gallerySizeType":"px","gallerySizePx":940,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(180,180,180,1)"},"galleryLayout":2,"modifiedGallerySize":true,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fill|true|0|true","layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":false,"externalInfoHeight":0,"externalInfoWidth":0.5},"container":{"width":940,"galleryWidth":972,"galleryHeight":1440,"scrollBase":0,"height":null}}