Jenny Block's Blog
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Jan.24.2012
Just when I think I can no longer be shocked by politicians' behavior, this comes along. It's not the fact that Newt Gingrich's ex-wife claims he wanted an open marriage that I find so shocking. Not at all. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn't.
The issue that has me spitting mad is the fact that...
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Dec.15.2011
My little sister's partner just gave birth to their first baby. She's six weeks old. I have a daughter myself who will be 13 in April. I flew out to Portland, Ore., last week to see the new baby and to lend a hand. My sister is back at work now and her partner is home alone full-time with the...
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Aug.05.2011
Every summer, for twelve years, I've gone to the same writers' retreat in the mountains of Southwest Virginia at a place called Nimrod Hall. The main house was built in 1783 and the property has slowly expanded into a number of outbuildings. There's running water and electricity -- but little...
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Aug.04.2011
Most places change over time and some change the people who visit them. Nimrod Hall is definitely the latter. In the Wood family since the early 1900s, Nimrod looks (and feels) today just as it did then. And as anyone who has ever been will tell you, Nimrod changes you.
Nimrod Hall, tucked in...
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May.08.2011
I remember being scared. That's what I remember most about bringing my daughter home from the hospital 12 years ago, being scared. She was so tiny and perfect. A clean slate. I was afraid I would mess her up. What if I dropped her when I was carrying her? What if I smooshed her while we were...
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May.06.2011
When I was growing up, I spent a lot of time doing my best to fit in. Wearing the "right" jeans, getting the "right" friends, signing up for the "right" classes. I felt like I had a few extra hurdles to jump. My dad was a rabbi (still is). My parents were...
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May.05.2011
YouTube I used to do Jazzercise. Religiously. I had the thong leotards with Jazzercise splashed across the front in rhinestones. I had the wristbands. I had the monthly punch card and I kicked and jumped and stepped my way into a pretty darn good shape, if I do say so myself. I hate exercising...
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Mar.22.2011
Please support me as I take an amazing journey in the fight to end breast cancer! The Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure is a 60-mile walk over the course of three days. Net proceeds from the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure are invested in breast cancer research and community programs.
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Jan.04.2011
New York City and great books have always gone hand and hand. Innumerable books have been written, inspired or taken place there. In fact, following New York's literary legacy is a great way to see the city's highlights as well as some of its lesser known treasures. From ice skating at...
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Nov.28.2010
Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year. Preparing a bounty of food. Hosting a house full of family. Hustling and bustling all weekend long.
It's can also be a huge pain in derriere. If you'll pardon my French. Preparing a bounty of food. Hosting a house full of family. Hustling and bustling all...
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Nov.06.2010
Macau, it's not your modern-day Las Vegas. Yes, Macau does have a number of casinos from the classic Lisboa to the enormous and glamorous Venetian. And, yes, it has gobs of neon, killer entertainment, great shopping, and over-the-top hotels. But that's just a glimpse of what really comprises...
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Oct.27.2010
This Saturday, October 23, sixty-one domestic and seventeen international teams gathered in Lynchburg, Tennessee (pop. 361) for the 22nd Annual Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational Barbecue.
I was honored to be invited to be a judge at this year’s competition, and after taking a Kansas...
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Oct.23.2010
Believe it or not, yours truly is going on her very first climbing trip. I will be climbing with Matt Walker of Inner Passage in Joshua Tree. I am so excited. I met Matt when I climbed my very first rock wall this summer at Miraval.
I've been trying to get in shape for the big event ever despite...
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About Jenny
Jenny Block has a BA and an MA from Virginia Commonwealth University. She was a college English instructor for nearly ten years and now works as a freelance writer whose work has appeared in a variety of regional and national publications and on a number of...
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Causes Jenny Block Supports
Muscular Dystrophy Association, Christian Children's Fund, Rape and Incest National Network (RAINN), HRC, Matthew Shepherd Foundation, Breast Cancer 3-Day...