Lost and Found in Tucson

Lost and Found in Tucson

I lost my wallet in Tucson, but I found so much more.

Image: Dog with a rose by Annaca at Pixabay

Dear Friends,

Last week I shared a story about my brother’s wallet, but also while we were visiting in Tucson, I lost my wallet for the first time in my life. I had my driver’s license in a separate place and wouldn’t struggle to get on the plane home the next day, but I was upset because I had a sweet note in the wallet from my best friend’s dad claiming me as his adopted daughter. Forget the cash inside. Forget the credit cards I’d need to cancel. I did not want to lose that priceless note.

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My Brother’s Wallet

Image: My Brother's Wallet

My Brother’s Wallet

Recently I met up with some of my family in Tucson, Arizona. The mix included my younger brothers and sister. Anyone who has read my life-inspired novel, Tiger Drive, knows that my love for my three younger siblings motivated me during a time in my life when I needed motivation the most. When I was a teen, they were the reason I believed in a brighter future and pushed on. They are the reason I went to college—even when I was scared to death to leave them behind. They were—still are—my hope.

It’s rewarding being a big sister to three loving, kind, nurturing, and hysterically funny people despite their not-so-loving, not-so-kind, not-so-nurturing, and not-so-funny childhood.

Case in point (no pun intended): my brother K’s wallet.

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A Tiger Drive Truth

Tiger Drive by Teri Case. Photo by Gretchen Lemay

A Tiger Drive Truth

Dear Friends,

We have a condo in Florida. The previous owners decorated it with tiki bars, surfboards, and lots of mustard-yellow and dark brown paint. The tiki-ness and boards are gone, and we began the battle with the wall colors last week. As always*, we are using Behr’s Beach House White, and as always, I painted a heart for Ted on the dark brown wall. It’s a tip I learned from my dad, Dick. I used it in my novel, Tiger Drive:

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Serendipity, Sentiment, and Silver Spoons

Image of Silver Spoons

Serendipity, Sentiment, and Silver Spoons

Dear Friend,

A few decades ago, my mom handed down the family silverware to me, as in the silver-plated ware that belonged to her mother and father. The box, which had a red velvet interior and been refurbished on the outside with several layers of contact paper–the last being a brick pattern–gave me more memories than the mismatched utensils. I can remember my grandma and grandpa (or Ma and Pa, as most everyone else called them) pulling out the contact-paper-covered box for holiday dinners and special events.

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Back to School Again: A Short Story

Cover: Back to School Again by Teri Case

Dear Friend,

Happy New Year!

I’m not arrogant enough to say the following short story I wrote is a gift, but I am still giving it to you. If you read last week’s newsletter, you know that my goal word for 2020 is Ready. Part of being ready is embracing change, and my gut says that change is in the air. Back to School Again: A Short Story is all about getting comfortable with change. To read the story, click the link below:

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What We Can All Learn from Jamie Oliver

Image: Ready by Teri Case

What We Can All Learn from Jamie Oliver

Dear Friend,

When I sat down to write this letter, I first googled Jamie Oliver to get my facts straight about what I recently learned from him, and apparently, there is a lot to be learned from Jamie Oliver, both Dos and Don’ts-slash-Mustn’t-Evers. I’m focusing on one of the Dos.

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