Author Archives: shannonarmenis

I have taken quite a long break from sharing here. It would seem, the world is not what it once was, or perhaps, more specifically what I had always believed it to be. Although I could feel the shift, often I would ignore it, attempt to reason it away because to accept what I wasContinue reading “Olive Branch”

Luca Brasi was born on a farm and adopted by parents with a shared love of the movie The Godfather. Although fiercely loyal, he began going by just “Luca” when it was quickly determined his temperament would never allow him to rough up a band leader or anyone else for that matter. Although, he didContinue reading “All Dogs Go To Heaven”

I thought I would follow up on my last post with some additional thoughts and number calculation breakdowns. If you haven’t read Part 1, you can do so here. One of the arguments used to explain the high percentage rate of vaccinated breakthrough cases in a population is that we should expect to see aContinue reading “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated? – Part 2”

I have been following the COVID case numbers on the Maryland COVID Dashboard for a while, but began following it a bit more closely in August when it was announced the dashboard would begin to include vaccination breakthrough case data. If you would like to read the press release announcing it, you can do so here. Continue reading “Pandemic of the Unvaccinated?”

  It seems today, according to Facebook, is National Daughters Day. I am not even sure it is a real holiday, but each year the world of Facebook is hell-bent on reminding me of every person in my friend’s list that has received or birthed a child with a vagina, but me. If I soundContinue reading “Daughterless”

I have written for years but only recently started sharing again. After a recent post, a couple of girlfriends reached out to me on a group text, to ask how I had never shared this secret of mine. The answer is simple – vulnerability. Whether you have a knack for putting together words and structuringContinue reading “Get Naked”

I have been quiet the past two weeks. Honestly, I think my brain is on complete overload and overwhelmed by all of the opinions, conflicting data and options concerning the school year. Unfortunately, schooling has become another addition to an already long list of divisive items accumulated in recent months. The notion that we canContinue reading “There Are No Sides, Just Paths”

An edited version of our family’s story about international plane travel, was shared on the TODAY Show media channels over the past few days. The unedited version can be found here. In true internet fashion, the opinions were abundant, both positive and negative.  Many had been in a similar experience, but many clearly had notContinue reading “Parenting Grace”

Each spring, for years, my husband would throw grass seed in our backyard. As soon as the soft green spikes would begin to rise from the ground to make their presence known, they would disappear. His dream for a sea of backyard grass would be trampled by the feet of young boys and his hopeContinue reading “Backyard Hindsight”

When I was 4, I dreamed of having my very own Cabbage Patch Kid doll.  It was a fairly common dream in the minds of many little girls as the Christmas season approached, strategically stepping up the pressure on their parents a notch. It created what was known as the Cabbage Patch Craze in 1983,Continue reading “Lessons Learned from a Cabbage Patch Kid”

Dear Preschool Teacher, They say “you never have a second chance to make a first impression”. I repeated these words over and over in my head, last summer, as the days passed and the countdown began toward the first day of school for our son. We were worried. Worried his willful nature and impulsiveness wouldContinue reading “Dear Preschool Teacher”

I have hesitated to write about George Floyd and the current racial divide in our country. Not for fear, but because it seemed better suited as an opportunity for listening, rather than talking. As I watch city by city in this country burn and crumble from within, I am reminded that not only do weContinue reading “Changes”

                                          Photograph – JHHSM Collection 1958. 0263.001 In the past few days, I have been bombarded with articles, videos and comments sections filled with attack, finger pointing and hurtful words. Unfortunately, this rage is hurledContinue reading “The Petticoat Rulers”

I don’t remember the first time someone pointed out my astrological sign. I always found it presumptuous that a person would claim to understand anyone based simply on a day of the year they had entered the world. Maybe it’s the fact I was given a sign with the connotation of ravaging bodies and killingContinue reading “XVI”

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous when hitting publish on my last post. With the current climate in this country, expressing your feelings concerning any politics seems to almost guarantee emotional backlash. I asked for my husband’s opinion beforehand, not because I needed the approval but more for the nudge, since heContinue reading “Harmonizing”

I try my best to not involve myself in political banter, especially on social media, but today marks the third day in a row that I have read an article of yet another restaurant closing its doors in this state. This does not even include the small “Ma and Pa” shops that will never reopenContinue reading “Political Chess Match”

One of my favorite authors is Glennon Doyle and for years she has repeated the mantra “We Can Do Hard Things”. Lovely, isn’t it? In fact, so lovely, I have not only embraced it but actually believed that I could do hard things. Unfortunately, it seems hard things may not be the area I needContinue reading “Quarantine Grocery Shopping”