Simplifying Life Archives - Cindy DeBoer

Leave It Broken

Cindy DeBoer — Fri, 26 Mar 2021 03:29:39 +0000

When we bought our hundred-year-old crack house we discovered that somewhere in its history a previous owner made an egregious err in personal assessment and believed themselves to be “handy.” They tackled a variety of home improvement projects such as brick laying, replacing windows, updating trim and doors, installing sinks and faucets, and building closets. […]

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Humble Pie – What happens when our heads get too big…

Cindy DeBoer — Thu, 10 Oct 2019 18:05:36 +0000

My car died a couple of months ago – on the way to work and in the middle of the highway, no less. It made me terribly late as well as the recipient of many honks and obscene gestures from all the busy and important people whose cars never break down. But, as luck would […]

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God of the City

Cindy DeBoer — Thu, 06 Jun 2019 14:38:02 +0000

Last week our car had its front window shot out (yes, as in, with a gun) while parked in the street in front of our house. At least 10 other neighbors had their cars hit as well and we had to call the police and fill out police reports and we were all late for […]

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On Dying Slowly

Cindy DeBoer — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 15:44:28 +0000

One of the lowest, crappiest things well-intentioned people say to you when they find out you have a terminal illness is this: “Well, you know, we’re all dying really.” Of course we are. Nobody believes these bodies will last forever. But sometimes it just stinks to be me because someone gave me a TIME LINE. […]

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The Tale of Two Porches

Cindy DeBoer — Thu, 28 Mar 2019 13:49:56 +0000

The Impressive White Wrap-Around Porch: I was thrilled when I was dreamed into life. Every component of the home knows there are two of us that carry the most weight and significance: the kitchen table – where our people gather to share, grow, and learn to love; and the front porch – where our people […]

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Rae Dunn, Jesus, and a Washing Machine

Cindy DeBoer — Thu, 28 Feb 2019 16:38:26 +0000

Am I the truly the last one to the Rae Dunn Party? I have only recently discovered it’s magical lure when my sweet friend gifted me a mug engraved with“Sing” after she read my blog on how I’m struggling to sing. Apparently, RD is the latest craze and people are clamoring and clawing their way […]

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The 5.7 Billion Dollar Question (the one nobody is asking…)

Cindy DeBoer — Fri, 18 Jan 2019 13:49:50 +0000

When we were young – perhaps our early thirties – we had an excess of money and were picking up steam to make considerably more. Our trajectory was secure. We owned all the pretty things, had a solid retirement account, the kids’ college tuition neatly tucked away, and, should we have died, our offspring would […]

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Why Chip and Joanna are BIG, FAT, LIARS (But we should all be watching their show anyway…)

Cindy DeBoer — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 15:57:53 +0000

I speak from experience. We just moved into our first (and last) fixer-upper. We chose the house because of the neighborhood – interesting social, religious, and economic diversity in a walkable neighborhood close to downtown Grand Rapids. We never once thought it’d be “fun” to do a fixer-upper. In fact, because we don’t have cable, […]

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Why I'd give booze/drug money to a beggar:

Cindy DeBoer — Fri, 12 Feb 2016 16:47:04 +0000

*He was 5 years old when his mother’s boyfriend sodomized him. When he was 7, the people that lived in his house threw a party where everyone got stoned – so stoned, in fact, that they passed the boy around as their sex toy. A year later, he started smoking weed, too, just to escape […]

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10 Simple Steps to Freedom from Spring Cleaning. Finally.

Cindy DeBoer — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 19:37:09 +0000

When I found out I had a disease that would likely reduce my years on this planet significantly, I wasted no time and jumped into conservation mode by eliminating things from my life that are not important, not necessary, or just no fun. I’m trying to focus my time and energy on things that really […]

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