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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 1 month ago
Winter's End on the Lake
The Lake in Winter (photo credit Eric Vickery) The rough texture of the sun-soaked ice is deep shades of gray and white with small mounds […] -
Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 1 month ago
If it wasn’t bad enough surviving an abusive marriage, now I’m forced to recount it for others outside my circle of friends. This stuff is private and hurtful and sensitive. However, there it is in a list […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 1 month ago
The once buried autumn leaves were scattered throughout the trail, dried out from the last snow fall.
Scattered winter branches and twigs littered the path. Tree roots peeked through the leaves which could […]
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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 3 months ago
Staring into the darkness, I can make out some light coming from the sliders and the shadow of a tree. The moon is full, accenting the shadowy clouds with a glowing outline. I reposition myself to sleep, then o […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 3 months ago
I’m told it’s something you never get over. I’ve relied on advice, webinars, articles, and common knowledge to cope. Friends have been supportive through hugs and coffee. Daydreams come mostly at night when I’m […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 4 months ago
Slathering the grey cream all over my face, I give myself a facial that will turn green on contact. A goolie look I must admit. All to make my lines, sags and wrinkles disappear from this 59-year-old facade. Ca […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 4 months ago
I feel foreign in my own house. My body feels like nothing is familiar. My mind is on everything and nothing at all. Opening the refrigerator, I take out a can of seltzer and slowly move to the table. My kn […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 4 months ago
The sound of the oxygen machine was lulling me to sleep. My eyes were getting heavy, but I stayed focused. I laid on my side with my folded hands tucked under my chin and my knees bent resting next to his f […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 6 months ago
Death is an evil muse, an uninvited bitch, tearing our fragile heart out without a thought. Emotions can be like a roller coaster climbing to highs of comfort and acceptance, then down with the sweet memories that […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 6 months ago
You died on a Monday. I saw you that morning struggling to breath. I’m so thankful to have given you a kiss as you slept. The last kiss I would ever give you. Oh, how many times had we kissed and embra […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 7 months ago
How come you ask nothing of me?
I say, “let me know if you need anything?”
Do you think that is just polite?
Is that empty to you? Am I not in some small way, a
part of your precious life? Am I over […]
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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 7 months ago
She was very knowledgeable about her business. Holding the ring, she pointed out the uniqueness of the setting as she rotated it in her fingers. The stones were exquisite as their brilliance would light up w […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 7 months ago
We lugged all the beach gear from the trunk of the car, moving away from the hot concrete parking lot toward the sandy shore, a brilliant horizon of blue with white. Bright colored striped chairs, thirsty […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 8 months ago
A familiar road can go unseen.
How many times have you
been there? Let your passing
slowly unfold its intentions.
Focus your eyes.Make notes, climb trees, recite
poems and stand tall. E […]
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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 8 months ago
Parties can cause me slight anxiety as I circulate about and “work the room.” Mingling is essential to having a good time, an art if you do it right. Having a few drinks helps me to be more confident and rela […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 8 months ago
The skin on his hands were pale and paper thin
showing a tangle of blue veins. Fingers longer and
thinner than I remember. I stopped and stared at
the age spots and bruised skin of purple and b […]
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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 8 months ago
I laid on my belly and made my 9-year-old body as flat as possible. Trying not to breath, I would only inhale and exhale very slowly causing as little movement as possible. My heart was pounding out of my c […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 8 months ago
I once read that the average person lives in 8 homes in their lifetime. As I started counting my many dwellings on my fingers, memories of each seeped into my thoughts. This was the place I lived when my son w […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 8 months ago
My whole life I wanted to be a writer, not a ballerina, teacher or nurse, not even a Mommy, just a writer. To be capable at an art form that can releases myself from myself. However, it can be difficult t […]

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Jo Toale wrote a new post 3 years, 8 months ago
Leaving the Cape successfully takes an act of God combined with a little fortune telling, and some traffic savvy. Let’s take a look at a typical scenario. You’ve had a great weekend with a lot of beach time […]

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