Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental Tales of Love Adventure, and Fun ✨ “The Brownie Incident” Every six months, one of my longtime patients walks through the door carrying a homemade baked treat. He’s retired Army — and not just any Army veteran, but an Army chef. My assistant Pat and I always know we’re about to be spoiled. Everything he makes is from scratch, and he prides himself on using less sugar than the recipe calls for. The result is always delicious. Honestly, the extra sugar is...
13 days ago • 3 min read
Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental Tales of Love, Adventure, and Fun We deserve a treat! After most of us suffered through smoke filled apocalyptic skies, were held hostage in our homes because of the air quality and were forced to invent indoor activities (which included closet cleaning for me), I decided this week's perk would be filled with treats. First, photos of my amazing day at Island Beach State Park in New Jersey. I did not fully appreciate this escape until I returned to a neighborhood...
20 days ago • 1 min read
Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental Tales of Love, Adventure, and Fun The Joy of the White Elephant Sale at Our Lady of the Lake Churches have always understood something simple and beautiful: community thrives when people share what they have. That’s why Our Lady of the Lake’s annual White Elephant Sale is more than a fundraiser—it’s a tradition rooted in generosity, stewardship, and the belief that even the smallest gift can make a meaningful difference. Every summer, a trailer appears in the...
27 days ago • 3 min read
Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental Tales of Love, Adventure, and Fun MY DAY Of CELEBRATION 250 YEARS I found myself wondering: How on earth do you make the 250th celebration of the Declaration of Independence memorable? With absolutely no plans, I did what any responsible adult does — I searched the local papers and the internet and hoped inspiration would leap off the screen. It didn’t. If I wanted a memorable day, clearly I’d have to manufacture one myself. On the third, Rich and I went to the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental Tales of Love, Adventure. and Fun July 4, 1976, wasn’t just a birthday for the country; it was a moment in our own lives when everything still felt wide open. Many of us were teenagers or young adults then, standing at the edge of adulthood with the whole world stretching out in front of us. The Bicentennial gave us a reason to look forward, to imagine the next 200 years, and to imagine our own futures too. Gerald Ford was President, the tall ships were gliding...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental Tales of Love, Adventure, and Fun It seems like Father's Day is always sunny and mild. Today is no exception. It is fitting, most fathers would like a day outdoors, a day free from stress and the enormous responsibility that comes with being a father. So let them relax and do whatever they want. Me and My Dad Treasured Photo I had a great Dad. He was usually quiet, but when he spoke, people listened. He was solid, always there when I needed him, and my sense of...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental tales of love, Adventure, and Fun Tech Advice from Someone Who Shouldn’t Give It This week, I had a full‑blown tech adventure — the kind that ends with me driving out of Wi‑Fi range in my pajamas, clutching my laptop like a misbehaving toddler. All because I was afraid to touch the router, which feels like cutting the wrong wire on a bomb. If you don’t know what DNS or SPF mean, trust me, you’re better off. They sound like sunscreen ingredients, not something that...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental Tales of Love, Adventure, and Fun Call me crazy, but I have a simple rule when buying k-cups for my Keurig - the coffee has to be on sale. Because of my stubbornness, after a few weeks without a good deal at the food store, I found myself frantically looking for a k-cup the morning I ran out. I needed my cup of coffee! I desperately searched for something that would satisfy the longing. I had to settle for the instant coffee my husband brings on camping trips. It...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Joanne's Sunday Perks Dental Tales of love, Adventure, and Fun For those of you who’ve been with me through Dental Tales of Love, Adventure, and Fun, this week brings a new milestone. “Faulty Impressions,” the first book in the series, is getting its hardcover release on June 1. As we get close to that date, I wanted to share a small behind‑the‑scenes update and a way you can help the book find its way into more readers’ hands. “Faulty Impressions” is now officially cataloged with the Library...
2 months ago • 1 min read