It’s freezing outside and the perfect time to jump into the book The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. While this book has been around for a few years, I was just introduced to it, and I love it! The Frozen River is based on the true story of Martha Ballard who was a midwife in […]
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Welcome to Read with M.A.
I am so happy you are here and want to share the love of reading with me. Each month I will share a new book that I have read and loved and hope you will join along in reading and discussion. Our first book for January 2025 is the Wedding People by Alison Espcach. This […]
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A Dogs Purpose
We had a dog. A dog with a purpose so great I didn’t even realize what it was until after he was gone. We lost our best pocket buddy Ralph a couple of weeks ago. We haven’t processed this well. It’s April Fools today and since this all still feels like a big joke, maybe […]
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NOW AVAILABLE
In Paperback and on Kindle at Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088GDGPYG?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860&fbclid=IwAR2hygupP2PJIW732h8uGmy-Pvp3w_myb65nt0LsxnHNBMK_FO1TpS4UUgE
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Mother “less” Mother’s
The thing about grief is that it keeps weird hours. It’s like the small mom and pop shop that closes whenever the owner isn’t available to be in the store. Sometimes it’s open in the mornings, sometimes at night and sometimes you never know. The shop usually doesn’t make it. Why? Because people like consistency. […]
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Masters Rewind
Are you ready??? I’m ready! This is going to be a year to remember and although it’s all things we have seen before we get to see them and cherish them in a whole new way! Here are a few pictures from Augusta when I was able to be in attendance in 2015. I sure […]
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Podcasting
I am new to the podcast world and learning so much! It has been a ton of fun. In case you missed it 21 Steps is available on podcast apps or on Youtube! Thanks for tuning in!
21 Steps
21 Steps the Podcast
It’s here! Available on 21 Steps Page or wherever you find your podcasts!
21 Steps
21 Steps Podcast
Coming Soon…. 21 Steps the Podcast. Follow me on Facebook or Instagram for More News!
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Jumping Hurdles
It has been ages since I have posted and I know that. I have been super busy doing that which I want to do most. Being a mom. What I hope is a really great mom. I left behind a job, no a career, that I loved where I was doing something meaningful and great. […]
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A Mother’s Love
A Mothers’s Love It’s not something that you see, they say, you’ll feel it in your heart That may be true for some kinds of love but for some, that’s just the start A Mother’s love is not the same as ordinary love It’s a gift God gave to the babies when he sent them […]
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Keeper of the Flame
This poem I wrote for my friend. A friend who shared with me a most beautiful love letter. A friend who has lost so much. A friend I love. I think of my mother so much this time of year, and this is so true for her too and I thought of her too, very […]
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2 Day Beach Body Plan
This isn’t the place you would normally turn for exercise tips and advice, but I have a 2 day beach body plan for happiness to share..and it’s a goody! I embarked on this journey with upcoming beach plans and I decided to spend 2 weeks doing all things healthy in preparation. I was so successful […]
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Cheers to the Mommas
Okay all you Mommas out there..or you lucky Stay at home daddy’s, grab a glass of wine or a bottle of Dr. Pepper..whatever it is that makes you relax and feel like a real adult and get ready. Anytime I write/say the word cheers…take a drink. Hopefully by the end you feel just a little […]
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Mother
It’s a dreary rainy day outside today. So instead of being out adventuring we are inside finding things to do. It makes me anxious. It makes me miss my mom. It makes me think about all of the Mother’s Days over all of the years and wonder…do I need her more today than I did […]
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Baseball in Heaven
I just realized that I didn’t share this poem that I wrote for my Grandma Nina. She was one more great loss in the year 2015. Sure miss that lady. Her birthday just passed, and baseball is starting so I thought it would be a great time to check in. Baseball in Heaven I […]
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The Snow Shoveling/Exercise Balance
Piles and piles of snow. That is what we currently have. This leads to the following question… “At what point does shoveling snow count as exercise?” So I ask you…Is there a line? For example… Does one actually have to be the one shoveling the snow? (cause that looks like a lot of work) And if […]
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Dreaming of Beauty…
I look up to the woman before me. With wide eyes I see such beauty. Her textured hands full of beauty and grace, the small black watch fitted over elegant lifted wrist bones. She smiles at me and it reaches her eyes. The wrinkles in perfect form on either side of her mouth. She laughs […]
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Bon Voyage
2015 is coming to a close. As I sit to write this now, I thought how hard 2015 has been. How much loss. 5 grandparents and one very special dog. Not an easy year at all. But as I sit here now surrounded by my family I realize that 2015 hasn’t been all bad. We […]
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Ode to a Good Friend
I saved you. You came to me full of parvo and covered in lice. I knew from the moment I saw you, that you were supposed to be mine. For the next 12 years, you returned the favor. I had you longer than I should have and yet….it was not enough. Please know that I […]
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With Thanks
With Thanksgiving on the horizon I have been making a conscious effort to feel and think all of the many things that I am thankful for. There are so many things to be thankful for. I recently heard for the first time a song by Jewel that says: I am my father’s daughter, he has […]
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Dreaming….
I have been showing homes lately as I have recently branched out in Real Estate. As I am walking homes, I can’t help but imagine myself and my family there as well. Sometimes I see certain features and think how great it would be to have that in my own home, or what about just […]
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Fish Lake Relay: Race Recap
Another relay is on the horizon, but life has been busy and I realize, that I have yet to write a recap of the Fish Lake Relay. We had so much fun as a group and we can tell you what it feels like to barely make it before the time cut off. We can […]
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Where are you Mr. President?
In the last 24 hours I have received word that 4 police officers have been shot and either injured or killed in the line of duty. My heart is with you, Illinois, Ohio, Louisiana, and Texas. With the officers family, and his bothers on the line. I am growing weary. I am tired of feeling […]
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Kindergarten Eve
Tomorrow is a very big day. This is the day that my first-born child will start Kindergarten. It is monumental. I am so proud of her, so excited and so utterly terrified all at the same time. Tonight I sit and think about all of the moments in life. All of the things I have […]
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Grandma’s Hands
My grandma asked me to write this poem for her. I am sure going to miss her! Grandma’s Hands They were hands of aged beauty, tucked neatly in her lap Upon the place the tiny ones, had rocked and slept and sat The stories told were hidden deep within each tiny crease But […]
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The Indian Princess on the Mountain: Timpanogos
A beautiful Indian Princess dances in the sun. The drums sound loudly in her ears. Closing her eyes she feels the rhythm of life. From afar he watches her, loves her, and hopes to one day catch her eye. The day is coming and she will be chosen to wed. To continue the traditions of […]
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Great Adventurer
Today we are sending a great lady off on her final adventure. We are sure going to miss her around here. Great Adventures She closed her eyes, then closed her book, the smell of leather to be found She placed the book upon her lap, then opened her eyes and looked around Upon the walls […]
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Adventurer in Pearls
Today while driving Sidekick 1 asked me this question, “Why is God taking all of our people right now?” I didn’t know how to answer her. It made me feel very sad. I don’t like posting all things gloom and doom but it has been a very rough month at our house. We are currently […]
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Heaven’s Farmer
Today is my Grandfathers funeral. He was such a wonderful man and I will miss him greatly. To learn a little more about him, see this post here: For today, here is a poem that I wrote for him. He will be so missed. Heaven’s Farmer I figured it out just last night, while lying […]
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Boise Ironman 70.3: A Recap from the Back of the Pack
I recently finished the Boise Ironman 70.3. I wanted to write-up a recap for those who may consider doing this race in the future (if they get it again) and just to share my experience. It has been quite a week for me and time prior to the event really takes a toll. On Wednesday, […]
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The Teeny Tiny Lady
It is my grandmother’s funeral today. She was such a wonderful kind lady, as you read here. When I was small and we slept at her home she would always read us the story of the Teeny Tiny Lady, which you can read here. Looking back, it should have been scary but her voice was […]
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Life’s Greatest Lessons
I feel an enormous amount of weight on my shoulders. Everyday in my own life, an era is coming to an end. I feel a great responsibility to step up to the plate. To love more. To be better. I have had some of the very best teachers. I know I should be grateful for the […]
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Memorial Day 2015
In Honor of Memorial Day 2015 I would like to say thank you to all who have served our country and all who have left a mark on my life. I am incredibly grateful. I wrote this quick poem for a Veteran attending the National Honor Flight and also thought of my grandfather and other […]
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The Wonderful Lady
I am currently in the process of a long goodbye. I’m losing my grandmother. The mother of my mother. The last tie I truly have. You see, there is an order. Parents should never lose a child. I have always understood this looking at it as a parent myself, but I never took the time […]
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Redmond Clay: A Testimonial
Sidekick 1 had a rough couple of days. She already had a broken foot but was pressing through. We went to visit our family and on vacation she just happened to get stung by a bee…on her other foot. The problem is, Sidekick is allergic to bee stings. Two epi pens later we found ourselves […]
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Dear Judgmental Mr. Bicycle Man
Dear Mr. Bicycle Man, Today is Mother’s Day and no surprise, it’s a hard day for those with Mothers in Heaven. I try to stay busy today. To keep occupied. It has been raining incessantly and my husband hasn’t been able to mow our yard for days. I decided that there was a break in […]
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A Mother’s Day Eve
I think I have shared enough sadness for one Mother’s Day. Today I got to spend a wonderful day with my kids and will again tomorrow. I’m blessed. I am a mother. It is my day. I still think of my own mother and her missing presence, but today while running in the rain with […]
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Author Interview
My first blog author interview. Thank you so much Mandy Eve Barnett for taking the time to talk with me. Remember this post? She’s one of the great ones! View my interview here on Mandy’s Blog! http://mandyevebarnett.com/2015/03/05/welcome-newcomer-meriann-boxall/
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Dear Mom
Dear Mom, It has been three years since you left me. Three years since I last talked with you. Three years. So much has happened in these three years. So many things. Your grandson was born. He’s incredible Mom. He’s funny and sweet. He was born without you. He had his first bath without you. […]
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A Celebration of Mother Earth
Because we need no reason to party, but like to find them, my sidekick insisted on a birthday party for Mother Earth on Earth Day. It turned into quite the day. We started with a neighborhood cleanup walk. “Mother Earth is probably very happy right now.” was the consensus. Also a statement or two about, […]
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The Most Beautiful Things
“When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries, and you rejoice.” White Elk When I was younger I remember wanting to so badly to be an artist. I practiced really hard in hopes that I would be one of the lucky ones. […]
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A Day at the Masters: A Beginners Guide
We were lucky enough to draw out in the lottery for tickets to the 2015 Masters Practice Round. We were so excited. It ended up being a great tournament where Jordan Spieth started and ended with lead, tying the record for the lowest scoring round. He knew on Monday that this would be the outcome. I […]
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My Grandma in a Book Review
I should be visiting my grandparents today, but instead I am home, with my kids with a cold. Instead, I am finishing a story about my grandma, well a grandma at least but she sure seems a lot like mine. This story made me reminisce about the wonderful lady that she is. It made me […]
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Pre-Order: The Plague Legacy: Assets
Christine Haggerty, author of the Plague Legacy is about to release the second book in the series: Assets. If you remember, this post, you will know that I loved the first book, Acquisitions, in the series and I can hardly wait to jump into the second of the series. You want to pre-order Assets at just […]
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Country Quiche
I have always been intimidated by the Quiche. I have never made one before now. Thanks to a fun cooking group I am apart of we were encouraged to make a quiche. I combined a few recipes and tried some things of my own and it turned out great. The kids even liked it. Mostly, […]
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Old Love
He sat upright in his chair. Cancer causing pain to pulse through his bones. If he just held still, he could keep it at bay. She came to him, aged beauty, and fluffed his pillow. He patted her hand. Years of care-taking, years of love. When he looked at her he saw babies, family, […]
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An Introduction to a Great New Friend: Dutch Hollow
Today I was brave. I have been enjoying running-especially on trails and have been wanting to try my hand at Dutch Hollow. I have seen so many incredible pictures and memories made, but I was always waiting for the right time, or the right invite at the right time. That doesn’t often happen with my […]
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Publishing a First Work
I have some very exciting news. I have story that will be published in the Secrets and Doors anthology set to be released very soon. It has been quite a journey for me and I have learned a lot. If you are currently writing, or hoping to write and someday be published, trust me when […]