• Books

    They Tried to Defeat Her

    She moved to a small town in the outskirts of Portland. She really loved where she had lived in the south but her family was back this way and she wanted to see all the kids and grandkids grow up. She had a great life where she had been and hoped for the same here. Excited to build a home with her husband back in the NW, they found a home on 5 acres out in the woods. It was a rough home. It needed a lot of work and remodeling but it was livable and they would make do. Only a year after living there it turned into hell.…

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    Leave the Shadows

    She turned quickly to see a translucent shadow behind her. It didn’t move in any direction but rather floated in the same space. It had no definition. There was no face or body to it. It was nothing. But it was everything. What was it? What did it want? Why was it behind her?  She turned away to run forward into the light of the day. She wanted to leave this dark shadow behind and the fear and negativity it was trying to attach to her. She felt the urgency to get away and free herself from this darkness behind her. Looming. Casting fragments of dread.  She turned toward the…

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    The Moment – My Opinion

    Every moment counts! Our lives are based on each moment. They all have brought you to where you are now and they will continue to carry you on for the rest of your life. You will have good moments and bad. Appreciate them all.  It’s crazy how one moment of time can completely change your course of life. You can be happy and celebrating a special occasion only to instantly have terrible news arrive that totally changes your life forever with deep pain. Or you can be in a state of despair and feeling there is no end to hardship or grief when suddenly great news has been delivered that…

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    You are more…….

    Sometimes we feel less than. It can be caused by a stranger, boss, co-worker, friend, family member, or a partner in life. Things they say or how they treat you can make you feel belittled, disrespected, or degraded. It hurts and tears at your inner being. It can have you questioning your qualities, abilities, worthiness, or even your purpose. It could be about your job position, a silly disagreement, or your meaning of life. Depending on the length of time you deal with it, it can be breaking you down. You shouldn’t question anything about your life unless it’s to better yourself and not putting yourself down. If you work,…

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    Dear Toni Tuesday………

    Dear Toni, My relationship recently ended. It was not by my choice. I’m dealing with it and moving on but I was wondering what is the amount of time you should wait to start finding someone new? Sincerely, T Dear T, You know when you are ready. It can be a day or a month but when you feel like you are ready to meet someone else, you will. Don’t let others tell you it’s too soon or you need to get out there. They will try to help you because they care. Your friends may judge you if you jump in too soon. Or they might get upset that…

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    Positive or push over?

    I speak a lot about boosting others, helping yourself, rising above, and moving forward. I believe it’s important to find the positive in tough situations. I think being a good role in the world is a good thing to work towards. Even if it’s putting a quarter in a charity dish. I think walking away with your head held high is an asset most of us don’t have but should work on. I also believe that there are times when enough is enough. We try so hard to find peace in a chaotic world. We try to keep our mouths shut as not to offend others. We fight to keep…

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    Dear Toni Tuesday……

    Dear Toni, I’m so tired of working everyday to go nowhere. I can barely get by and I’m tired of scraping and working so hard. I just need a break. Any suggestions? T Dear T~ You may not like my response to this but ….. work! That’s all you can do. We need to work to survive and at time we are JUST surviving! It’s tough. Many people who make it big worked hard to get there. Many were below survival at the time. JK Rowling, who wrote the Harry Potter series, was broke, a single mom, and contemplating suicide. Now a billionaire. To make it more simple, a friend’s…

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    Dear Toni Tuesday……..

      Dear Toni, I have been sick for years with COPD. I know it’s getting worse and the doctors say I have about 3 years at the most to live. I am scared because December showed me how quickly I would go. I am remembering less and less and it scares me to death to not remember my kids, grandkids, true love, high school or my marriages. Doctors say I won’t know a lot soon so I revised my will, updated my life insurance and will live! I know I am not ready to go so God’s Plan will just have to wait! ~J Dear J, I just lost a…

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    Dear Toni Tuesday……

    Dear Toni, I want to move to a different state for better career advancement. My family is shocked that I even want to move away from them and are calling me selfish. I now have some family members mad at me and I haven’t even left yet. This is my life and I now feel at a crossroad and I’m not sure what to do. Suggestions? Thank you in advance, S Dear S, One thing I do want to point out that you said is that it is YOUR life. You are the only one who lives your life. You have to make decisions that work for YOU. Of course,…

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    Dear Toni Tuesday……..

    Dear Toni, I love my friend and we have been friends for a long time. When we go out she always wants to go to bars and dance and hit on guys. If she finds a guy then he dumps her soon after. I am getting tired of it and trying to grow up and be a responsible adult and focus on work and paying bills. How do I get her to stop this? I don’t want to lose our fiendship. Help. H Dear H~ i would like to commend you on focusing on work and paying bills. This will be something we do the rest of our lives to…