ThatLadyFromThatPlace

Requiem for My Giva-a-D*mns

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to pay our final respects to my give-a-damns. All of them. About four hours into my workday, I was done. Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. I woke up too early. My computer gave me drama. Customers were crazy. I…

Why I Still Believe in Empathy My cousin Ann posted the following to her Facebook account the other day with the comment, "What??? They don't know?" Yeah, I had to read it a couple of times, too. This isn't The Onion. It's Axios. Now, I haven't identified as a Christian since I was in 12th grade, warbling the Hail, Mary by rote in French along with the rest of the class.

Why I Still Believe in Empathy

My cousin Ann posted the following to her Facebook account the other day with the comment, "What??? They don't know?" Yeah, I had to read it a couple of times, too. This isn't The Onion. It's Axios. Now, I haven't identified as a Christian since I was in 12th grade,…

Comfort Food for the Soul (and Other Non-recipes)

Yesterday I ate a leftover turkey sandwich. Granted, the turkey was a Quorn Meatless Turkey-Style Roast, but it still hit all the right buttons to give me that warm, fuzzy holiday feeling. Back in 1999, I made the decision to stop eating meat (I…

Carrying a Bible (never read) and wrapped in the American flag.

Happy Thanksgiving

Busy eating plant-based turkey products! See you next week.

What a great article. I try to write every day, even if just a few paragraphs?

Big T/Little t: Thanksgiving Part 2 This month, Debbie and Deb finish up their conversation on Thanksgiving by discussing radical gratitude, radical kindness, and the two sides of the generosity coin.

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Perhaps a title of "Representative Emeritus" allowing Members who wish to retire to serve as counsel on committees and such. That way, they still provide useful wisdom and experience, but don't have to work till they drop in order to continue serving their country. Older doesn't mean useless.

The Joy of Being Average I spent much of my early life feeling like a failure. I was never smart enough or talented enough. I certainly wasn't successful enough. And for years, I agonized over my self-proclaimed mediocrity. Why? Because in fifth grade, I was pulled out of class and driven to the local college where I sat in an auditorium with a couple hundred other fifth graders and took a test which labeled me "gifted."

The Joy of Being Average

I spent much of my early life feeling like a failure. I was never smart enough or talented enough. I certainly wasn't successful enough. And for years, I agonized over my self-proclaimed mediocrity. Why? Because in fifth grade, I was pulled out of class and driven to the…

My friend in New Orleans said they're throwing glitter, voodoo dolls. They're also forming Second Lines yo block ICE from entering neighborhoods. I love my home town.

What Every Neurotypical Should Know There is so much misinformation being spread about autism these days. The facts are being manipulated, sometimes completely ignored, by people who either can’t or won’t do the research.…

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Mike Johnson is disgusting.

When Progress Looks Like Standing Still In the 90s, I was in an a capella trio. We were three middle aged women having fun. At 27, I was the youngest by two decades. I was also the steam powering the engine, so to speak. I was the person…

New blog post. dbaudoin9.wordpress.com/2025/11/17/w...

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Thank You, But Make It Real "Thank you for calling _____. How may I help you?" I've said that so many times over my last 30 or so years in Customer Service that I hear it in my dreams. When I'm sked my order in a fast food drive-thru, I have been known to respond with that phrase. "Thank you for calling _____. How may I help you?"

Thank You, But Make It Real

"Thank you for calling _____. How may I help you?" I've said that so many times over my last 30 or so years in Customer Service that I hear it in my dreams. When I'm sked my order in a fast food drive-thru, I have been known to respond with that phrase. "Thank you for…

It's the only way I get things done.

I’m Not Lazy, I’m Low-Battery

Are ya'll tired? Cuz I'm tired. You'd never guess by the state of things, she says sarcastically. My kitchen is a landmine of grocery bags, canned goods that need to be stocked in the pantry, and questionable leftover containers in the fridge. Laundry is a distant…

Kindness as Rebellion

I've had such a hard time writing this post. I've written on the subject of kindness before. It's a normal part of human existence, but these days, it's often hard to remember that. So much is going on right now in the U.S. designed specifically to keep us outraged and afraid…

Good employees, Bad Systems I will never again sacrifice my spirit, health, and self-esteem for a paycheck. And I will check my own tendency to judge my self-worth by my level of productivity, both on and off the job. If the system can only succeed by breaking good people, maybe it’s the system that’s broken.

Good employees, Bad Systems

I will never again sacrifice my spirit, health, and self-esteem for a paycheck. And I will check my own tendency to judge my self-worth by my level of productivity, both on and off the job. If the system can only succeed by breaking good people, maybe it’s the system…

Good Intentions, Bad Systems

The Chaos Management Olympics So, last week I had a...thing... After ten months of trying to get myself together, it all came to a rather dramatic, screeching halt. Just before the start of work on Monday, October 20, 2025, I leaned over to pick up something from the floor. I've always said as long as I can touch my toes, I'm gonna feel healthy.

The Chaos Management Olympics

So, last week I had a...thing... After ten months of trying to get myself together, it all came to a rather dramatic, screeching halt. Just before the start of work on Monday, October 20, 2025, I leaned over to pick up something from the floor. I've always said as…

Giving Thanks 2025 In this episode, Debb and Deb share Thanksgiving stories and traditionsfrom both sides of the border. Links From the Pod: Barefoot Evangelist Faith Coaching Barefoot Evangelist Publications Greetin…

barefootevangelist.ca/2025/10/25/g...

Democracy Starts at the Dinner Table In my last post, I talked about the division of labor between males and females growing up. Basically, men did the "outside work," so women did the housework. The concept of "men's work" and "women's work" is one of those charming quirks of the patriarchy that seem harmless on the surface, but are definitely not. This division of labor down gender lines has cleared the path for income equality, gender-based gatekeeping in high paying careers (i.e., the glass ceiling), and an incalculable amount of unpaid labor by women.

Democracy Starts at the Dinner Table

In my last post, I talked about the division of labor between males and females growing up. Basically, men did the "outside work," so women did the housework. The concept of "men's work" and "women's work" is one of those charming quirks of the patriarchy that…

Why Boundaries Feel Rude (When They’re Not) I've spent a hell of a lot of time saying "no" to people today. It's not something I'm comfortable with, but it's part of my job. Why is it so hard to say no, especially to friends and family? Why is it so hard to put up personal or professional boundaries without the inevitable feeling of guilt? According to an article in…

Why Boundaries Feel Rude (When They’re Not)

I've spent a hell of a lot of time saying "no" to people today. It's not something I'm comfortable with, but it's part of my job. Why is it so hard to say no, especially to friends and family? Why is it so hard to put up personal or professional…

Domestic Diplomacy: Treaties with My Messy Life There is a battle being fought in my home. It's an old fight borne of years of mutual hostility. The adversary? My unwashed dishes. From the first time I plunged my hands into a sink filled with lukewarm, sudsy dishwater, I have been embroiled in a full-on Hatfield and McCoy style feud with dirty dishes. We maintain an uncomfortable balance of power, but it takes only the lightest spark to reignite hostilities.

Domestic Diplomacy: Treaties with My Messy Life

There is a battle being fought in my home. It's an old fight borne of years of mutual hostility. The adversary? My unwashed dishes. From the first time I plunged my hands into a sink filled with lukewarm, sudsy dishwater, I have been embroiled in a…

What We Call Normal For the longest time, I have joked that I was going to name my autobiography, "That Girl Ain't Right." It's a phrase I heard a lot, especially when Kat and I were living in Kentucky. I've always been the weird girl. I learned to mask, but I never really managed to pull off normal. This made things really hard in school, jobs, and relationships.

What We Call Normal

For the longest time, I have joked that I was going to name my autobiography, "That Girl Ain't Right." It's a phrase I heard a lot, especially when Kat and I were living in Kentucky. I've always been the weird girl. I learned to mask, but I never really managed to pull off…

My Brain on Shuffle Mode Has anyone ever asked you to describe your thought process? How did that work out for you? Could you do it? Is there a well-defined through line connecting your thoughts into a coherent, overarching narrative? Did your audience smile and nod, obviously grokking your words down to the soul? Or did they just stand there, slack-jawed and bewildered, as they tried to process what you just said?

My Brain on Shuffle Mode

Has anyone ever asked you to describe your thought process? How did that work out for you? Could you do it? Is there a well-defined through line connecting your thoughts into a coherent, overarching narrative? Did your audience smile and nod, obviously grokking your words…

To All the Exhausted Souls — You’re Not Failing Is anybody else tired? Because I'm freaking exhausted. No matter how much sleep I get, I always crave more. No matter how small the task, it looms before me like the boulder Sisyphus had to push up the damn omountain every day. For the last twenty-five years or so, we have been fed a steady diet of chaos, conflict, and outrage here in the U.S.

To All the Exhausted Souls — You’re Not Failing

Is anybody else tired? Because I'm freaking exhausted. No matter how much sleep I get, I always crave more. No matter how small the task, it looms before me like the boulder Sisyphus had to push up the damn omountain every day. For the last…

An Important Message of Hope At this point in time, we need to hear wise, sensible voices. For this, I turn today's post over to the Representative from the great state of New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

An Important Message of Hope

At this point in time, we need to hear wise, sensible voices. For this, I turn today's post over to the Representative from the great state of New York, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Back in the Game September has been a helluva month. After eight straight months hanging tough with my new routine, the month of September just knocked me out of the game. I can blame sickness. I can blame politics. I can blame the state of the world or the alignment of the stars and pretty much any excuse my brain can dream up. But the truth is my messy house, my missed deadlines, and my sense of failure are all on me.

Back in the Game

September has been a helluva month. After eight straight months hanging tough with my new routine, the month of September just knocked me out of the game. I can blame sickness. I can blame politics. I can blame the state of the world or the alignment of the stars and pretty much…