Author | Lightnews

Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 8h

Wrapped completely in the grip of crippling anxiety, I knew I needed help but couldn't overcome my #terror to ask for it. The thought of making a phone call caused me to freeze up. I couldn't leave the house alone without dissolving in tears.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 1d

The #Martian landscape spread out before them in all its bleak and alien glory. They were the first to collect its arid red soil on their boots, the first to leave human prints on its surface. They took a moment to appreciate the historical import of their presence.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 2d

Jessica could feel a presence in that room, #unseen but palpable. It reached out to her, trying to communicate through emotions its pain and confusion. Her job was to help it focus and pass on. It's job was to warn her of the danger.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 3d

I think of all
That I could be
If I just had
The #energy
So many things
That I would do
If vigor would
To me imbue
But don't you know
It isn't vim
Or time or even
Seraphim
That keep me from
A life of glory
Just motivation
End of story
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 4d

Before mugs became the thing, our grandparents used cups and saucers for their coffee. My grandaddy would always pour part of a too-hot cup into the #saucer so it would cool faster and drink from that. I haven't seen anyone do this maneuver in years.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 5d

The basis of everything
Matter at its most simple
Yet, even the #atom
Is a sum of its parts
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 6d

Some mothers #hover. Others rely on benign neglect. The animal kingdom knows both extremes and everything in between. I tried to strike a balance with my own youngling. Sometimes, I succeeded. Sometimes, I didn't. But I always, always loved.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 7d

Andrew the #android
Took stock of the scene
The humans were acting
Like children again
His programming was
That he sit idly by
But behavior like this
Could make a droid cry
With his only emotion,
Compassion, he moved
To take things in hand
And his leadership proved
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 8d

Outside Sedona, we stopped the car to get some photos of the amazing scenery. I took still shots with the Nikon while my husband filmed video with commentary. Seeing the #arid landscape through a viewfinder had its drawbacks. He walked straight into a 2-ft. cactus.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 10d

When I was a child, back in the 1960s (count it back; I'm not ashamed), my mother would proclaim when my bangs needed a trim, that I looked like a #beetle. In vain, I searched the yard for an insect with long bangs. Later, I learned that I'd misheard her spelling.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 11d

Never comfortable
With #deluxe
She set her sights
On good enough
Never needing
All the best
Took what she needed
Left the rest
Imagine her surprise
Then when she
Caught the eye
Of a sterling man
Who taught her she was
Worth much more
Than ever she'd
Believed before
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 12d

I generally avoid wearing the colors of fall or the pastel #undertones of spring. Bright, vibrant jewel tones make me happy, whether or not they are the current fashion. I wear what makes me smile. Fashion is what I want it to be.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 13d

Beware of the #piranha
That wait in the wading pool
The treacherous quicksand
In the sandbox by the swings
The anaconda lurking
Underneath the dogwood tree
The pride of sabretooth cats
Living past the azaleas
The backyard's full of dangers
If you have imagination
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 14d

I remember
Rainy schooldays
Before I was old enough
To tag along
My two older cousins
Would each don
A #raincoat
Yellow and heavy
Fireman worthy
I had assumed
When my time came
To go to school
In the pouring rain
I'd be provided
With a marvelous coat
As well
Alas, no
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 15d

Some days it's hard to muster the #verve to do even the most basic tasks. Despite medication, regular exercise, and daily affirmations, depression still raises its head and makes itself known. I've come to wonder if it isn't just a comfortable habit.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 16d

Thank you.

Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 16d

The threat of consequences kept her from turning into a #libertine in her 20s. She had been able to see the lives of others as cautionary tales. That didn't mean she was always Miss Goody Twoshoes, however. Rebellion was in her nature if the cause was right.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 17d

They soaked the #ash of the campfire, assuring that every last ember was out. Then, it was time to roll up sleeping bags and dismantle tents. Another Girl Scout camp weekend was in the books. The feelings it generated, though, would live on for years.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 18d

The #clash and roll of a thunderstorm wreaked havoc outside, dropping small branches and flooding the flower beds. Claire barely registered it. She was indoors, warm and dry, with her old friends, Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. She sipped her tea and turned a page.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 19d

On a business trip with a male coworker, the hotel desk clerk referred to him as my husband and attempted to put us in the same room. In a tone colder than I'd realized, I stated plainly, "my #associate". He found the exchange hilarious. I was just embarrassed.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 20d

Hello? Yes, this is in regard to your #advert in the Tattler. I am advising you that what you meant to say was "mattresses" with an E S, not "mattress's" with an apostrophe S. I can't possibly shop your establishment until this is corrected, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 21d

Thanks, Steve.

Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 21d

Once, Carol paid particular attention to her clothes. Everything was ironed, pants creased. Only natural fibers were allowed to touch her body. Now her iron collects dust at the top of her closet; stretchy fabrics are her choice; and #elastic waistbands a revelation.
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 22d

Orange juice
#Pulp or no
Buttered toast
Bagel roll
Little things
Still to learn
Start with breakfast
Take a turn
Philosophy
Regular mister
Normal she
But what they think
Variety
#vss365

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Debbie Cribb Owens @cribbowens.bsky.social · 23d

Within this sea
Of drudgery
There's you
#Oasis from despair
When I am down
You seem to know
To call me
Lift my heart and mind
So I can go
About my life
With knowledge
I am known and loved
#vss365

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