Shannon R. Brown

Dear Santa, I thought I would take a minute to thank you for holding off on the whole “Elf on a Shelf” phenomenon until my kids were too old for it. I know that you and your fellow holiday dignitaries rely heavily upon parental participation to complete your holiday related tasks. After all, employing enough … More No Elf on My Shelf

Ever have your day planned out and then unexpected things happen? Yeah, me too. And today was one of those days for me. Thankfully my day was filled with pleasant surprises, including a visit from a friend I rarely see, but even so it threw me off a little bit and put me behind schedule. … More Reality Can Be Delicious

I’m a little under the weather today so I’m having a lazy day. And a lazy day at the end of November can mean only one thing – a Hallmark Christmas movie. At the risk of spoiling what is a riveting, nail biting film, this one is about a fledgling writer at a writer’s convention. … More The Names I Call Myself

Once upon a time, in an oven far, far away, there was a bundt cake happily baking away. This little cake was excitedly looking forward to the joy he would bring to those that consumed him. He had been told he would be moist, sweet and buttery. The cake had been assembled with care; his … More The Little Cake That Could

So I kicked a guy in a honky tonk on Saturday night and it made me think about my bucket list. Perhaps I should back up a little bit and explain. Thanks to a good friend, I fulfilled a long-held desire Saturday night; I got see the incomparable Willie Nelson in concert at Billy Bob’s. … More Bar Brawls and Bucket Lists

My girl child is working on a project for one of her classes. As part of it, she has to interview someone from a very specific cultural subset. Before the interview is conducted, she must view some type of media related to the culture. Seeing as I’m from what some people refer to as a … More God Bless Alaska State Troopers

A friend of mine lost his mom, Terri, a few weeks ago. She was 84 and one of the most vibrant women I’ve ever known. She had an infectious smile and a warm hug for everyone she met. Instead of a funeral, she asked that her family throw a celebration of her life. They did … More Zip Lines Aren’t Just for Kids

Social media seems to have taken over the world. There are some great things about it: connecting with old friends, staying in touch with far away family, sharing funny videos, etc. But it definitely has its downsides as well: lack of face to face communication, spiteful posts, vitriolic rants and discussions, just to name a … More Living My Best Life