en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/920898 Comments by edfromct http://www.taminprogress.com/iowa-worth-every-mile/#IDComment199441357 Thank you Tam, Alece , and Kass, for the comfort you give the Frankl family by being present at Sara's memorial service. Sara's spirit reaches out to all of us no matter the distance between us. Have a safe trip. Will you let Kass will be doing any of the driving. :) Mon, 26 Sep 2011 23:12:30 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/iowa-worth-every-mile/#IDComment199441357 http://www.taminprogress.com/make-your-dash-count/#IDComment197622380 I am sorry for you loss Tam. My condolences to your cousin's family. I also share your anger at the great waste of lives lost to drugs, and all the other vices, that devalue life. Finding faith is the difference between ending our lives with a needle in our arm, or being able to choose joy in how we live, as Sara taught us. Fri, 23 Sep 2011 20:21:05 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/make-your-dash-count/#IDComment197622380 http://www.taminprogress.com/what-are-you-choosing/#IDComment193482228 We have been blessed to have felt the joy that springs from Sara's heart, and is found in every action she has taken in her life. I hope we can learn this lesson and face all of life's challenges with a joyous heart as Sara has. Thu, 15 Sep 2011 01:14:24 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/what-are-you-choosing/#IDComment193482228 http://www.taminprogress.com/im-sorry/#IDComment177317027 I hope you are fully healed. At least that is one less organ you have to worry about. I do hang with a slightly older crowd, where any operation is an excuse to show off yet another scar. I don't really find any of these trophies particularly inspiring. I am a loner by nature, my guess is that's the result of a childhood spent mostly by myself.. My perceived neglect lead to an attitude of "If no cares about me, than I won't care about anyone else." Fear and low self-esteem are a part of this as well. When I was around 10 I started having stomach pains. I told no one. It wasn't until I fainted in the bathroom that I was rushed to the Hospital with an appendix that almost burst. I think pride and fear are the biggest reasons we go it alone. Tue, 26 Jul 2011 01:28:15 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/im-sorry/#IDComment177317027 http://www.taminprogress.com/i-have-an-announcement/#IDComment136885491 Congratulations on getting your book published. Your blog has helped many and I am sure your book will do the same. Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:02:48 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/i-have-an-announcement/#IDComment136885491 http://www.taminprogress.com/our-trip-to-san-fran-in-pics/#IDComment136574686 Any time spent in beautiful San Francisco is food for the soul, as long as we look past the traffic and fog :). The beach and park are my favorites, but really anywhere I take the time to stop and breath in life. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 21:16:06 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/our-trip-to-san-fran-in-pics/#IDComment136574686 http://www.taminprogress.com/women-definitions/#IDComment135673020 You've listed 8 reasons why I still live alone. :) Thu, 17 Mar 2011 20:55:11 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/women-definitions/#IDComment135673020 http://www.taminprogress.com/should-i-shouldnt-i/#IDComment120577590 If you don't mind everyone in the blog, twitter, facebook(?) world to know your name than the simplest thing is to go by it. The only reason to use something other than your real name is if it is already being used, or you want to maintain some degree of anoymity. If you want to make it easy for any one who reads your book to find you on twitter than it is better to use your real name. I am looking forward to seeing your name on the best sellers list. Then Brent will be know as Tam Hodge's husband. Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:59:02 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/should-i-shouldnt-i/#IDComment120577590 http://www.taminprogress.com/clarity-in-the-chaos/#IDComment119349270 It is great to read that Brent is recovering. It was awful to read what you guys went through. Nothing like a trip to the ER to wake us up to the reality of how fragile life can be. I hope Kass and Kota are coping well with what must be a very freighting experience for you all. None of us has a clue what each day will bring, which is why it is so important to cherish each moment. Brent is healthier today then he was yesterday, he just didn't know it. I am sure he also knows how lucky he is to have someone with your strength by his side. The doctors will take care of his physical health. You, his children, his church, his faith, will ensure his spirit stays strong. I was going to wish you a great new year, I think I'll just wish a great new day, for each and every day in 2011. Mon, 3 Jan 2011 21:39:34 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/clarity-in-the-chaos/#IDComment119349270 http://www.taminprogress.com/i-just-have-to-know/#IDComment118447492 I got the best present of all, I was filled with the spirit of Christmas watching my neighbors kids playing with their shiny new toys. I have no family left so Christmas shopping at the mall is one joy of the season I don't need to experience anymore, thankfully. Tue, 28 Dec 2010 21:26:30 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/i-just-have-to-know/#IDComment118447492 http://www.taminprogress.com/merry-christmas-eve-and-day-and-more/#IDComment117863967 Tam I wish you and your family a very joyous Christmas. From the video I see you and Brent have the joy part down. Fri, 24 Dec 2010 21:28:48 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/merry-christmas-eve-and-day-and-more/#IDComment117863967 http://www.taminprogress.com/oldie-but-goody-yes-it-is/#IDComment117349215 My past goes back a tad further then most, unless our friend Papa decides to comment. When I think back to my teen years one song always comes to mind, Phil Phillips hit "Sea of Love". Buddy Holly was my favorite singer back then. "Maybe Baby" and "Rave On" where my two favorite songs of his. Wed, 22 Dec 2010 02:32:30 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/oldie-but-goody-yes-it-is/#IDComment117349215 http://www.taminprogress.com/swig-and-hold/#IDComment116055225 When I make a sandwich I cut it into neat little bit size pieces. All the pieces must be the same size. Also each portion of food on my plate can't touch any other. Hard to do with stew. :) Probably about a hundred others I am not aware of. Thu, 16 Dec 2010 00:17:03 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/swig-and-hold/#IDComment116055225 http://www.taminprogress.com/i-am-me/#IDComment114956569 I have learned the same lesson that you have. We could please everyone one else in the world, but it won't make any difference if we haven't made the person in the mirror happy, or in the case of Christians, the guy behind the mirror. Never do anything solely out of guilt. We do something because it is the right thing to do today. The past is something we can learn from, not something we should live in. What ever we are planning to do today include at least one thing that will make us laugh. Laughter is essential to good mental health. Just because something sounds like the crazy thing in the world to do, is no reason not to try it. Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do. - Benjamin Franklin Today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday. - Anonymous Fri, 10 Dec 2010 21:27:27 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/i-am-me/#IDComment114956569 http://www.taminprogress.com/seasonal-clarity/#IDComment112729396 As long as you start with Happy -, or Merry -, I don't care what the next word is, Holidays, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Christmas. The Romans celebrated Saturnalia. The Pagan Scandinavians Yule (Jul). It makes sense to me that a retail store request it's employees use a greeting that will be inclusive of as many of it's shoppers as possible. However any store that takes action against an employee who uses "Merry Christmas" is pretty stupid, because of all the negative press they will get. In the US we have many ethnic, religious, and non-religious, celebrations during the Christmas Holiday season. Gasp! I used "Christmas" - I guess I have to turn in my Atheist card. :) Anyone trying to create a controversy over the words "Merry Christmas" is likely someone who likes to start trouble, get in the news, and Christmas is just another excuse. Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:24:34 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/seasonal-clarity/#IDComment112729396 http://www.taminprogress.com/like-totally/#IDComment110477407 In the 1980's was as old as you are now. In music the first songs I can think of are "It's still rock and roll to me" - Billy Joel and "I love rock and roll" - Joan Jett. CBGB's was the popular place in NYC (Blondie, Talking Heads) I think the scuzzy Miami Vice look was in style. Don Johnson could get away with it, I couldn't. Also skinny ties at the office, when guys still had to wear ties. Worst product, perhaps of all time, the boom box, played at full volume in public. Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:19:40 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/like-totally/#IDComment110477407 http://www.taminprogress.com/3-positives-no-negative-november/#IDComment107674112 1- I have a very positive outlook about life. 2- I am good at working as part of a team. 3- I can laugh at my own mistakes. Wed, 3 Nov 2010 22:55:24 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/3-positives-no-negative-november/#IDComment107674112 http://www.taminprogress.com/a-few-opinions-on-social-media-and-the-people-in-it/#IDComment106453443 My blog gives me a chance to be creative. When I first started blogging I did got caught up in checking my blog stats everyday. That just added a level of stress I don't need. It made blogging less fun. Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:21:54 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/a-few-opinions-on-social-media-and-the-people-in-it/#IDComment106453443 http://www.taminprogress.com/a-few-opinions-on-social-media-and-the-people-in-it/#IDComment106451977 I don't think anything about these social media tools needs to change. I agree with you Tam, that we users control the content. We control who we chose to connect with. We decide how much time we spend on it. I blog to meet people who I would not otherwise have the opportunity to meet, and to learn more about their world. Also it gives me the chance to express my creativity. I am enjoying blogging more now than when I started. I find an increasing number of people blogging, tweeting, about what interest me, which is basically everything, everywhere. Everyday I am learning more about the world I live in. Blogging, and the other social media, only become a bad thing when we chose make it so. Wed, 27 Oct 2010 23:10:10 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/a-few-opinions-on-social-media-and-the-people-in-it/#IDComment106451977 http://www.taminprogress.com/some-things-are-just-flesh-diggers/#IDComment103898316 We see it, we want it. We think it will make us feel good, so we want to try it, do it. This is true of all people of all ages. What will stop us is knowing the true cost of what we want. Learning that the benefits of not doing it are greater. Wed, 13 Oct 2010 23:10:20 +0000 http://www.taminprogress.com/some-things-are-just-flesh-diggers/#IDComment103898316