May 22

“Cowboys and Indians” by Susan Rose

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Being a Parent.”  It warms my heart when I think about children and how literal their worlds can be. I remember watching the evening news when I was a child. A plane had been hijacked and the reporter said there were guerillas aboard. Wow, I […]

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May 19

“The Great Curtain Caper” by Pat Wahler

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Cats.”  Every home contains at least one item, prized beyond measure by its occupants. It’s something to admire, fight for and treasure. I found my Holy Grail of Housedom in a pair of cur­tains. The moment I saw those bronze basket-weave window panels, I knew […]

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May 15

“Shagging is Hard” by Kendall Roderick

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Being a Stupid Kid.”  The hallway carpet leading into the school cafeteria was an emerald green mixed with puke brown and sky blue. I imagined that without the puke color, it might have been mildly pleasant. I was meeting Sarah, who had been my best […]

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May 12

“Double Crossed by a Dummy” by Risa Nye

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Working for a Living.”  The notice in the paper said, “Recruiting for the Albany/El Cerrito Fire Department.” There followed information about a series of qualifying physical tests to be given at a nearby school. The tests were, among other things, the dummy lift, the ladder […]

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May 10

“Measuring Up” by Dahlynn McKowen

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Being a Mom.” Moms. We are always on the go, go, go and many times, ignore ourselves in the process. I used to be one of those busy moms. Back in the day, I held a full-time, high-level management position which ran me ragged. Up […]

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May 01

“How to Buy a Plastic Penis” by Pamela Frost

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This story appears in the adult bedtime book “Not Your Mother’s Book…On SEX.”  There are times in a woman’s life when a plastic penis is far more satisfying than the flesh-and-blood role model. Post-divorce is one of those times. After a while, I found my hands were not getting me to where I needed to […]

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April 27

“Off the Hook” by Nancy Julien Kopp

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Being a Mom.” I glanced at the clock, tapped my foot for the nth time and hollered up the stairway, “C’mon, Kirk. We need to get going.” My 11-year-old son had been to the dentist for an early-morning appointment, and I needed to get him […]

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April 24

“Worse Than Zombie Warts” by T’Mara Goodsell

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Being a Woman.” It was supposed to be my little secret. I was going to slip into a pair when I got out of the shower. I’d hang around the house in them when I wasn’t expecting company. I’d wear them outside, but only to […]

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April 21

“Uncle Roy vs. GPS” by Patrick Sisti

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Travel.” As an outdoor travel writer mainly focusing on the Adirondack region of upstate New York, I’ve been really fortunate in my 60 years to have had my own personal outdoor guide. There’s a man named Leroy Spring who lives in Indian Lake, New York. […]

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April 17

“The Dog Whisperer Shakes His Head” by Gregory Lamping

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This story appears in the anthology “Not Your Mother’s Book…On Dogs.” “You need to be the boss!” Those are the words I keep hearing from Cesar Millan, the self-proclaimed “Dog Whisperer.” As a dog owner, I know I should be the boss, the pack leader, the alpha male, but there are some dogs that adamantly […]

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