Howdy, I’m Jaclynn.
Welcome to my adventurous, fun and daily writing space!
I write from the inside of an experience and name what’s happening in a way other people recognize themselves.
As a passionate mental health counselor, I’m here to share helpful and healthy tidbits.
I’m a recent Georgia transplant but lifelong Washington state native, a master-level organizer, a proud mom to 6-year-old Evelyn, an intermittent faster, and a fervent B-1 Spanish learner.
Music is a big part of my world, so you’ll find lyrics, band names, and song titles sprinkled throughout my posts. They’re little breadcrumbs from my heart to yours.
I hope this space brings you laughter, inspiration, and the occasional “aha” moment. Whether you’re here for a quick read or a deep dive, I’m grateful for your time and company.
Oh, and I’m 44 now—so whether this blog’s title still feels relevant is entirely up to you.
Thank you for being here. Love, me
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Now, onto the blog!
An Unnecessary Turf War
I run. When I do, I take up the third half of a lane—the left lane. I run straight toward oncoming traffic, but 99% of the time I’m on country roads or in town—a town…
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Where We Lay Our Head
Bus 24-74 is one of a barrage of buses that crosses our front porch’s vantage point. In the long string of buses, it’s that bus—the one that honks. I anticipate its arrival, looking at the…
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How I Turned a Small Moment Into a Big Problem
It started after a session with a newish client. The intersection of feeling needed by them and my sense I’ve failed them does it. Their story sucked me in and spit me out, and suddenly…
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Back Alley Mind
I’m spinning in a toilet bowl that isn’t flushing. About relationships. About what I didn’t say, didn’t do, where my voice is throttled or too much or off. When I finally climb to the toilet’s…
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Bippity Boppity Boutique
Like a ship in a storm, the waves pound me sideways—unrelenting and unforgiving. The AliExpress seller scam sucked me dry for $150, and my savior, PayPal, spat at me and sided with the seller. Since…
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Don’t Call Me Shirley
How do you use social media? A woman on a mission, a woman on a mission. Too long I’ve couched it; a lazy Saturday, Super Mario Wonder–playing flips my twitchy switch. Out the front door,…
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Running On Full
I can do hard things. At the tail end of mile one of a four-mile run this morning, the thought came to me. At the same time, a strong whiff of decaying turkey vulture carcass…
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I Had a Voice. I Didn’t Use It.
Write about a time when you didn’t take action but wish you had. What would you do differently? The fortune teller’s ball is crystal clear on this one, and as I look at it, my…
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Shiver Me Timbers
What makes you nervous? The supervolcano at Yellowstone ranks among the top 100. But more so is the overdue for an eruption—Mount Rainier in Washington state. I grew up staring down that beast of a…
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Unpretzeling the Day
How do you unwind after a demanding day? My cousin-in-law is scuba certified, and last week dove at the Atlanta Aquarium. The oxygen leaving his tank was considerably less than that of his fellow divers,…
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A Clown’s Nose Nothing
Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind. Silly me. All this time blogging, and I’ve yet to do a daily prompt. Well, lookie lookie at who’s stepping into the big show. Clowns.…
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The Race to Fairness
I really liked a woman’s blog once. I could tell she liked her messy selves—takes one to know one. I trusted her words like I was riding with an insane New York taxi driver—speeding through…
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To the Climbing Tree
I have a rubbery gorilla bracelet on my left wrist. Evelyn tells me it can summon monsters—even bad ones. There are 1,000 monsters in every city, she says. Details like these tumble out of her…
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Where the Beer is Cold
I have several clients my age, or close to it. Women. Our biology overlaps, and it lends itself to girl-talk-type conversations—but also to deeper, more meaningful ones. Because we relate. Deeply. Growing up in similar…
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A Night Well Spent
My cousin and her husband arrived to stay the night and we’ve been chatting. They’re visiting from Washington state and spent the past week in Savannah. Oh, did I mention my cousin’s name is Savanah?…
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A Frog’s Patootie
In a miserable mood, I told Dave, “The only answer is to go for a run.” I’d missed the pre-work, 65-degree, shaded morning cool, which meant the midday sun was in full golden glory—86 degrees…
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The Act of Notting
I want this day to last longer. To watch the crows’ about-face strut to eat peanuts in the yard, to plant tomatoes, to browse and shop for patio furniture, to listen to the extra-loud cardinal’s…
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Around the World
The sting of the higher price tag is replaced by euphoria. A power tool with real power—the cord whipping at what feels like a gajillion miles per hour, obliterating weeds, dirt, and rocks in its…
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For the Love of Breathing
Placing a chair back in its place on the front porch at the day’s end, I saw a phone’s light bobbing through the lawn. Unable to see who it was—and assuming it was Dave—I called…
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A Fairy Godmother Appears
Thanks to the attendant of Universal Studios’ Trollercoaster, our ease and enjoyment of the park went up by two notches. After overhearing Evelyn say she didn’t want to sit in the back, she pulled us…
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An Invitation to Grow
I tend to juggle too many balls. It’s no wonder I feel resentful or disengage when a request comes my way. How dare someone ask that? I don’t have that to give. My chest seems…
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Doing Disney Our Way
“Bippity Boppity Broke.”“Happy Never After.” Just a couple of the less-than-magical t-shirts I spotted around the Disney parks yesterday and today—on dads, no less. The “Never After” one, with Grumpy the Dwarf on it, I…
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Magic Eve Night
Evelyn’s made a friend from Louisiana, which feels fitting, since we’re staying at Port Orleans, a Mardi Gras, bayou-themed resort. It’s lush here, with all sorts of palm trees, sword ferns, and old man’s beard…
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Spit Happens
I love staying in Airbnbs. They inspire me. The flickering solar light hung on a post, the purple-and-mustard painted pallets, the cartoon alpaca bedsheets—all swirl in my mind as potential additions to our home’s décor.…
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Pre-Check Check
Holy cannoli, I’m on vacation. I mean, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself. I had my last session of the week, so technically I’ve transitioned to the end of the workday—with a mild panic that…
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I love your writing.
Geez, Chuck. I’m blushing.
abortion…it takes a very courageous woman to admit those two difficult decisions. I could not be any more proud of you other than I know your Mom would have been. we all make mistakes, and should’nt have to pay for them with our lives and futures. Evelyn is the luckiest, to have you as her Mom,someone who was ready to love her💖
Thank you Kim. Your words mean a lot to me.