"From the Bay to the Blue Ridge"
By Lori Welch Brown Navigating Life w/Dad I enjoyed a great, middle-class childhood. It wasn’t perfect, but my three brothers and I transitioned to adulthood without a single appearance on Dateline and no one in the Prince William County police force knows us on a first-name basis. I didn’t raise any children, but I know […]
By Lori Welch Brown The C Word I joined a new club recently—it’s not incredibly exclusive, the initiation is daunting, and you will be happy to pay your dues and look for the nearest exit. I wasn’t in a hurry to join the ranks of The Colonoscopy Club, and now I understand why. Holy Toledo, […]
by Lori Welch Brown Go V Yourself! Since I was a kid, I’ve been drawn to Valentine’s Day. I love all the pink hearts, red Cupids, and especially the dark chocolate! Note that I didn’t mention red roses or lingerie, but more on that later. I especially love those sweet little Valentines in the tiny […]
By Lori Welch Brown The (Sweaty) Seasons of Life I swear—I think I write the same sentiment every year, but it bears repeating. Summer is really hard to say ‘goodbye’ to, but look what we get on its heels—F A L L!!! The first chilly, fall evening and I’m like “summer, who?” I mean who […]
by Lori Welch Brown Gift Me This While many of you may be focused on back-to-school activities, I am focused on MY BIRTHDAY. Yes—that’s right. I’ve made it another turn around the sun so let the herald angels sing, “AMEN!” Woot. Woot! I’ve always loved birthdays! “Bring on the cake!” I say. Pink says, “Get […]
By Lori Welch Brown Girl Gone Bad Life is about making good decisions every day. I know this to be true, yet when faced with options, I typically tend to lean toward the one with the most calories and/or the one that will make me feel the absolute worst. Carrots or chips? Chips! Sparkling water […]
By Lori Welch Brown Personal Freedoms As we celebrate the 4th, I give gratitude for all my freedoms. As an American, I have a veritable smorgasbord at my disposal. It’s an embarrassment of riches. I have more personal freedoms than Kardashians have Spanx. Every day I wake up to a plethora of choices. Whole bean, […]
By Lori Welch Brown Social Me(dia) the Love Public Service Announcement (PSA) No. 1002-32-A7: To those of you who may be confused, granting someone a ‘like’—or, even better, a ‘heart’—does not constitute a real, honest-to-goodness social interaction. If you are friends (or even family), you must, at a minimum, pick up your smartphone and text […]
By Lori Welch Brown A Colorful Life A friend of mine passed unexpectedly a couple of months ago. It was a shock, but he had endured many years of suffering and pain. I’m 51 so it wasn’t my first encounter with grief, but it reminded me that you can never really prepare yourself for […]
By Lori Welch Brown Spring Forth in Hope The book has closed on the first quarter of the year and tax season is in full swing. Your fools’ jokes have been played. The Easter bunny came a little early this year—felt early, right?! Tucked behind those Cadbury eggs and malted milk balls is some […]
