Category Archives: Uncategorized

Fair Isn’t Always Equal – November 4th, 2019

Posted on November 4, 2019 by eportugal4

Fair Isn’t Always Equal November 4th, 2019 by Elaina Portugal This morning on CNN I heard commentary on some national polls about impeachment. The reporter broke down the information into real demographics and it’s not looking … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged American healthcare, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, fair isn't always equal, Not Trump, Pete Buttigieg, politics, solutions | Leave a comment

Tasting My Childhood – Elaina Portugal – 12/24/17

Posted on December 24, 2017 by eportugal4

Tasting My Childhood – Elaina Portugal 12/24/17 My kitchen counters are covered in flour and the temperature in the kitchen must be ten degrees warmer than the rest of the house. Poluski, polish potato dumplings, are rolled on the counter … Continue reading →

Posted in Elaina, Uncategorized | Tagged bittersweet, Christmas, inspiration, memories, traditions | Leave a comment

Packing Memories – Amanda – 1/27/2016

Posted on January 27, 2016 by eportugal4

Packing Memories January 27, 2015 I finally put away our Christmas decorations this past weekend. I’d wanted to take them down on January 9, the first weekend after Twelfth Night, but I yielded to pleas for “just one more week” … Continue reading →

Posted in Amanda, Uncategorized | Tagged family, holidays, love, memories | 3 Comments

Comfortable Being Uncomfortable – Guest K. Murphy – 5/15/15

Posted on May 15, 2015 by eportugal4

Comfortable Being Uncomfortable May 15, 2015 Dearest k, So… you’ve picked up the harp again after setting it aside the past two and half years to focus on completing your novel, struggling with that recalcitrant black hole of a blind … Continue reading →

Posted in GuestPost, Uncategorized | Tagged amwriting, confidence, Harpist, music, stage fright | Leave a comment

The year without Santa by Elaina Portugal

Posted on March 23, 2015 by eportugal4

Originally posted on The Writer's Chest:
https://www.facebook.com/events/929700703726399/permalink/933775906652212/ The Year Without Santa Elaina Portugal Their Christmas lists hang on the refrigerator door complete with web addresses, color selection, and required sizes. The tree stands in the corner, unadorned, unlit; schedules…

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Colleen 1/30/2015 – Deflation

Posted on January 30, 2015 by eportugal4

30 January 2015 Dear Colleen, Today comes the final announcement for a writing contest you entered, and you long more than anything to be that lucky writer. So, go ahead—pretend you are not as nervous as a long-tailed cat in … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged anxiety, chin up, disappointment, expectation, forging on, keep your standards, nerves | 2 Comments

Sigurd 1/27/2015 – Sniping

Posted on January 27, 2015 by eportugal4

Tuesday 27 January 2015 I wanted to write something pretty this week. Something ethereal. Pensive. Something from deep within about the beauty that surrounds me. To write it, and hold it close to my heart. But then, American Sniper hit … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged American Sniper, armchair heroes, glorifying war, Hollywood war, war is a racket | 2 Comments

Colleen 1/23/2015 – Smile

Posted on January 23, 2015 by eportugal4

1/23/2015 Dear Colleen, You witnessed a spontaneous social experiment the other night, one that highlights a barrier we must overcome in order to unify this nation, if not the world. While walking four blocks in a relatively nice Chicago neighborhood, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged body language, fear, prejudice, presumption, race, smiling, trust, valuing others | 1 Comment

Kerry 1/22/2015 – Cold

Posted on January 22, 2015 by eportugal4

January 22, 2015 Dear Kerry, You need to remember that you’ll get nearly nothing done the day before you change Sarah’s schedule. The day of the schedule change will present its own problems, as well. Selective amnesia or an eternal … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged avoiding meltdowns, disappointment, guilt, handicapped, regimented schedules, special needs children | 3 Comments

Sigurd 1/20/2015 – Snow Angel

Posted on January 20, 2015 by eportugal4

Snow Angel Tuesday 20 January 2015 Piano man. I listen to Billy Joel do his business on the ivories while I sit on the verge of exhaustion, punching keys like a drunk sailor, knowing I have always carried the small … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged eulogy, friendship, gratitude, grief, loss, mentorship, mourning | 2 Comments