Posts Categorized: Jane Austen Days-Jedi Knights

Author M.J. Pullen blogs with humor about her life as a writer and working mom raising two padawans with her own personal Mr. Darcy.

The 20-Year Reunion Blog

posted on 10/01/2013

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It’s a half-anticipated, half-dreaded event: the 20-year high school reunion. This gathering of old friends (and enemies) has become a benchmark in our culture: The Great Check-In on how your life is going up to this point. Who better to assess the success or failure of your last two decades than people you haven’t seen […]

Renaming the Seven Dwarves

posted on 08/12/2013

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In the car this weekend, my family and I were discussing some very important topics, led by my four-year-old, who has a new-found interest in princesses, superheroes, pirates and fairy tales. He’s increasingly interested in the characters of these tales – and where he does not know the details, he fills in with his imagination. […]

The Hangover: Early 20’s vs. Late 30’s

posted on 07/21/2013

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Last night, Hubs and I went to a concert with some close friends, a rollicking good time. Since my friend was kind enough to serve as the designated driver, I overindulged a bit at the bar. More than a bit, to be honest — though not entirely my fault. Long story. Anyway, there’s something about […]

Cynicism and the Jazzercise Jiggle

posted on 07/09/2013

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I’m going to tell you a couple of things about myself that you may not know. One, I consider myself something of a recovering cynic. I come from a long line of stalwart observers who often found it easier to point out what was wrong with the world (albeit in a clever and humorous way, […]

The Art of Friendship

posted on 06/28/2013

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I got back late yesterday from a much-needed summer break. One of my nearest and dearest girlfriends, who now lives in another state, managed to organize a couple of kid-free days for the two of us in Asheville, North Carolina. It was rejuvenating in so many ways. Among other things, we sampled some delicious food, […]

Go Ahead, Check Your Pockets

posted on 05/08/2013

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Last night I was having a great conversation with a good friend of mine, who is a former counselor like me, while we walked around the trails at a nearby park. It was a beautiful evening with air that seemed ripe for personal discovery and revelation. Or at least a picnic dinner and pick-up soccer. […]

Letter to the Me of 1993

posted on 04/30/2013

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My 20 year high school reunion is coming up this year; and predictably, it has me thinking about what I’ve learned in the last two decades, and wondering how my life might have been different if I’d known then what I know now. (Equally interesting would be if I knew now what I’ve forgotten since […]

My Three-Year-Old, In a Nutshell

posted on 03/21/2013

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We let Monkey stay up a little late tonight and snuggle between us on the bed for some Antiques Road Show. It was one of those rare quiet moments in which he is so happy for the special treatment that he actually behaves himself for a bit, like he’s testing out the icy pond to […]

Darkness and Light: The Suicide Blog

posted on 01/16/2013

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My mother, who died in 2001, would have been 65 years old this past Sunday. I say died because that’s what happened to her. She didn’t ‘pass away’ as people are so fond of saying, as when an elderly person drifts off to peaceful sleep and simply doesn’t awaken. Most people in my life know […]

November Lessons

posted on 12/03/2012

November was a wild month at M.J.’s playhouse, and I’m still playing catch-up, so this month’s lessons will be short and sweet: 1. When you’re faced with doing unpleasant ‘business’ involving close friends or family, sometimes the less said, the better. Stick to the facts and give everyone space to process emotionality elsewhere (maybe not […]