Let’s be for real.
You don’t know me, and I don’t know you.

Of course, if we’ve been reading each other for a hot minute (or even not) you may have some idea of who I am.
I tend to think I’m pretty open.
Until I’m not.
Anyone can be anything they want on here. And we can only speculate.
That’s even more true for people who don’t reveal names (even first names), have photos of themselves, stuff like that. Of course, that’s their prerogative and totally up to them, it’s not wrong at all to protect your identity in this over-sharing, information-dense, social media-driven world.
Well, that was a mouthful. 😆

Privacy is imperative to many, and that should never be something one should feel they have to compromise on.
So I guess the real question is…what do I want to reveal about myself that others don’t know?
If I have to think hard about the question, I’m drawing a blank.

You know my profession.
You know what state I live in.
You know I love cats.
You know how much I can’t live without my coffee.
You know I like hiking.
You are aware I’m obsessed with the Sky / Moon / Mother Nature.

When I write, the essence of “me” flows through it. You know me, because it is me writing it, and not someone else or AI.
In some ways, some people may know us better on here than even family or friends, for all the dark secrets we reveal.
Or not.
Anyways. Enough yammering.
My reveal?
I’ll give you three, since it’s my favorite number. 😆
I’m the tallest out of my brother and sister, standing at 5’7.” (didn’t know I had a brother or sister? There’s a 2-for-1. I’m also the youngest, but oddly the most responsible) 😬

Before I became a nurse, I was dead-set on becoming a graphic / web designer or professional photographer. (I suppose the photographer part you guys could’ve guessed, but…artistic endeavors – good luck making a real living.)
I have chronic neck pain that flares up if I sleep wrong from a bad car accident I had when I was 17. (Yep. Ouch.)
Bonus: My grandfather was allowed to choose my middle name. He was either going to pick Bennett or the name Maude. 🤦♀️ Thankfully, he chose Bennett. Bennett is a family surname. So I always tell people, my middle name may be a surname, but I’m glad it’s not Maude. 😆
Those facts aren’t so juicy or interesting I suppose.
But there ya go!
Happy weekend is upon us!

Creativity is so important! I’m glad you keep it up outside of your demanding job.
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Thanks so much Mary 😊 I didn’t always, I used to go quite a few years without writing or reading outside of work, thankful that’s not the case now 🙏
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Hmmm…yes, somehow I don’t think Maude would suit you 🧐😁
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Haha!! Thanks Sara 😊😆 I’m thankful too because then I’d have to choose a different name to write under
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😱🤣
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I don’t know… That are some pretty titillating details about you. But I tend to find the trivial details about people the more interesting details. If we were in a coffee shop sharing details over a cuppa joe, these “not so juicy” tidbits would prompt all kinds of follow up questions from me.
Happy weekend indeed — although I feel like the Godfather with respect to work. I tried to take some impromptu Friday PTO and they promptly pulled me back in.
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Note to self: check repeat word usage before hitting send, Michael. You used up your “detail” quota for the whole weekend in two paragraphs…
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I do that all the time too! Reuse words over. I reused “lovely” recently in a comment here and I was like 🤦♀️ it’s no big sea I’ll though 😆 I get it, and where you used it makes sense just fine
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Haha well I appreciate that 🙏 thank you 😊 and yeah I guess I’m always someone who would follow up with a question too because I’m always wondering stuff.
I feel like people want me to always reveal how I became the way I am or what religion I associate with or something like that.
“You do go outside at 3AM to the crossroads! I knew it” 🐍
Haha. I go out at 3AM to look at the moon. 🌕
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That’s a great time to do it. When I have my bouts of insomnia, I tend to watch it through the window.
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Insomnia at 3AM? Hear that
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Not as chronic as this time last year or the year before, but… I still get my fair share of 3am moon viewing.
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Yep, it’s like clockwork, for me to wake up at 3AM or thereabouts. Literally ugh 😫
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Same here! LOL.
Not 1am. Not 4am. 3am almost always on the nose.
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Same height as me Laura.
Bennett is an interesting name and like you, I would go more for that than Maude.
Have a happy moon hike tonight. I hope it will be clear skies. And have a good weekend. X
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Thank you Liz! I hope you have a great weekend too. 😊 and that’s awesome we’re the same height! So do you consider yourself “tall” ? I always feel like I’m on the “taller” side lol 😆
Oh yeah, very glad he didn’t pick Maude lol, I would’ve had to find a new name to write under I think.
Appreciate the well wishes for clear skies 🙏 so far it isn’t, but we’ll see what tonight brings 🤞
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Yes, I consider myself tall. I will join you on the taller side. 😂
🤞 for tonight.
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Excellent, the taller side it is! Haha 🤣 and thank you 🙏 I guess we’ll see what happens. How’s the weather by you?
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The sky was clear this morning on the way to work, so I seen a full moon. A bit later it became misty. Cleared as I was going home. Not cold. But damp. Not looked much out the window for rest of the day as just weird and random.
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Yeah weather still seems a bit all over the place here too lately! Glad the temps have dropped at least!
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Yeah. For you, with how the temperatures have been, I am not surprised you are glad of that. 😊
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Definitely! No photos last night though! All clouds! ☁️ 😭 didn’t do the hike either cause rain… 🌧️ any other time I would love rain!
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Awwwe. So sorry to hear. I know you were looking forward to it.
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At the end of the day, I am convinced some of us don’t know our own selves any better than anyone else does. 😄
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Why do you say that? Because I said I wasn’t sure what I wanted to reveal or that I was drawing a blank? There’s *plenty* I could say, just it depends on what I want to reveal
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No, it was more an observation of people in general. I don’t think a lot of people know who they truly are, or they think they are something else entirely than what they actually are.
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Thanks for the deeper explanation. I do agree with you, of course. I think a lot of people do believe they present a certain way, but a lot of people can see through the mask. Even scarier is the opposite, being duped by someone who is a straight up psychopath. A rare occurrence, thankfully. But it makes the mind reading skills extra sharp 👌
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It does happen, yes, and it does suck when you find out someone is way, way worse than you ever thought they could be
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Let’s not conjure that up, I know I was the one who said it originally but no psychopaths would be good
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Agreed. That’s not an invitation….lol
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Clearly…I’ve been saying “mind reading” too much 🤪 😆 I meant “people reading” bahah
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Why do you think you say that so much? 🤔😉
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HMMMMMM I WONDER 💭
🤪 😜
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I truly don’t know…🤷♂️
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It’s like in anything – we show the side of ourselves that we want to – there’s lots we hide. Have a great friday 🙂
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Indeed, just like the dark side of the moon 🌕 thanks Simon 😊 hope you have a great weekend!
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That’s a good analogy… I’ll do my best. You too 🙂
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I disagree; it was actually very interesting 😊. We got to learn more about you.
Maude, oh geez! 😩 That would have been the perfect moment to share that hidden secret. But seriously, why does WordPress feel the need for people to reveal something like a private or secret about us? 😡 UGH! Anywho !! thanks for sharing a glimpse of your story. Wishing you a Blessed day and a wonderful weekend ahead! 🙏🤗
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Aww thanks Willie 🙏 😊 I’m glad you actually found it interesting, I thought this was kinda gonna be a “fail” for me 😆😂 I agree, if the prompts aren’t repetitive or weird, they want some info lol like?? Haha what is with that! 🤔🤨 lol…thank you and I hope you have a blessed and wonderful weekend too! 🫶
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…you took the turds right outa ma mouth 🤪😹
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Welll ok then! Lol 😆
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Woke up in the middle of the night… just to hear you say… plenty of room at the hotel California ☺️🎸
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You can check in, but you can’t check out!
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Have had plenty of people and all sorts tell me that I can cheque out any time I like
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I love that tidbits about you! Thanks for sharing. And ouch on the neck pain, I can totally relate
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Ahh I’m sure you can with all you have going on 😢 glad you found it interesting. I always wonder how much do people really want to know…LOL
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People wanna know everything, they’re curious in nature
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You said it!
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Lmao! My turn… Nope! I’d have to kill everyone I told that too… Still wanna know? 👺Muahhargh!
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That’s why I say, only what I want to reveal lol 😉 gotta keep some mystery, after all! 🤣
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Yep! 🤣
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Laura, I’m not sure why, but you look somewhat familiar and I feel like we’ve met before. Does the name Alicorn mean anything to you? Well either way, I’m glad to be reading your posts now.
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Interesting! So I get this a lot in person, but I don’t ever actually know the person lol 😆 I begin to wonder if the past life version of me has made many acquaintances and friends or something. The name doesn’t ring a bell, no. Why do you ask? And thank you 😊 glad to read yours too 🙏
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Thanks for dispelling my doubts! I used to play videogames with a girl who used that as her handle, and her name was also Laura B. And the style of writing was somewhat similar. Well, we must be past life buddies then…you might have saved me from a sabretooth tiger!
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Same with me , I too am obsessed with stars and moon 🌙🌙🌕
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What is about the stars and the moon that they are just such beautiful muses? ✨🌕
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Nature is so beautiful, or it’s just physics 😂 ✨✨✨✨🌕
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Thanks for sharing!! I appreciate your thoughts on respecting privacy; acknowledging that bloggers may all have a tinge of exhibitionist imbedded in their soul, whilst blog readers may have a tinge of voyeurism in that same dark place. I don’t question we may all have limits and thresholds in these mixed bag of emotions. Exposing and guarding are not exclusive emotion. But, you might want to think twice about your Dad’s possible choice of ‘Maude’. I love discovering the original meanings of names, and it seems that ‘Maude’ may fit you somewhat in your ‘pop’s’ perspective, German origin meaning “battle-mighty”. Yah, that’s not bad. 💪
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Thanks for your comment 😊 it’s not a bad meaning behind the name, just would rather have the one he did eventually decide on for me. But thank you, glad you think it fits 🙏 you might be the first 😆 but the meaning behind it does imply strength, indeed
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Great post! And yes… I feel a lot of people can learn a lot about each of us through this little platform. For some of us, this is the only place to show any kind of vulnerability, so… yes… we may learn more than even family and friends. Thanks for sharing these little tidbits with us 😊
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Thank you Kay 😊 I’m glad you liked it 🙏 and for some of the stuff I did reveal, as well. Yes, I do think this is where we have an outlet to be vulnerable and for people to “know” us if we allow it to be so.
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I agree with Kevin, we may not recognize someone from the image we built in our minds, what we wish someone to be, what they would look like, how they would talk, and especially that they will understand us. So, I am always happy to read about people but unless I really know you …
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That’s very true. I think we could literally say we are “this or that” and no one would be the wiser. I do think who I am naturally comes through in my writing, but of course that’s anyone’s choice if they vibe with that or not. Sometimes you don’t really know, you’re very right about that, Alice. There’s always hope that people are honest, but in this type of world nowadays, it takes a lot to build up that trust and realness with another
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Absolutely, true. Parts of our characters indeed shine true but alas, there are posers here and bullies and wannabees, and worse. We need to look out for each other here as well.
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Oh, I agree. I’ve felt that as well, which is awful. I hope no one’s been bothering you on here 🙏 you certainly don’t deserve that, nor does anyone.
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Great post, Laura, and thank you for declassifying some of the Top Secret parts of your life. Awesome!
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Haha 🤣 I dunno how intriguing or Top Secret it was, but thank you Edward 😊 very glad you enjoyed the post 🙏 ☕️
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Come on, Maude, that was a good piece of intel. 🧐😂
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Nooooo don’t start calling me that! 🤣 that was my biggest fear that someone would call me that out of a joke 😂 ahhh!! Haha. 😆 never revealing anything again everrrrr lol 🤣😭😅
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I should have put that in parentheses. Sorry about that. 🤣
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Hahahaha!! Ahh it’s ok, no worries 😂 I can take a joke thankfully 😅 let’s just say, I’m guessing my grandfather had an interesting ideas about names, probably because his was “Horace” lol. 😆 Stubborn Marine he was, glad he didn’t pick that one tho. 🙏 whew!
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Whew😰 … thank you. 😀
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No worries hahah 🤣 not at all. Here’s some ☕️ ☕️ always helps! Lolol
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Thank you…I feel much better. 😂
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A cure-all it is!!! 😆
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Nurse power!
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Thank you for the information. Nurse is a wonderful profession but very stressful. I am grateful to all nurses. As a side note, I took out my telescope again last night and observed the moon, supermoon, as well as Saturn. Jupiter was not high enough above our fence this time.
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Ahh!! Nice! Thanks for the update, that’s so cool you have a telescope and can check them out. I used to have one, I’ll have to get one some day. And thanks for your kind words about nurses 😊 🙏
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I wouldn’t be happy with Maude either, Laura. Have the very best weekend.
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Haha 🤣 thank you Mary 😊 you have the best weekend too!
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Bennett sounds much better than Maude, for sure, even though there is an interesting history with the name Maude. 😎
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Haha! Agreed! 😆 even for the interesting history, I think I’ll still stick with Bennett lol 😊
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Sorry to hear about your neck injury, chronic pain is a….well. . pain to deal with! Love your pics in this one.
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It is a pain in the …! lol 😆 thank you Sharon 😊 liked a bit of a darker tone for this one 🙏
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nice to meet more of you , Laura 😋
I wondered why the siblings came as a pause when I read it … and on thinking about it I realised perhaps we’re seen as just that individual here…nice 🤍💫
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Haha! 🤣 Thank you Destiny 🙏 yeah it’s interesting sometimes when we find out a few things about our personal lives. We see the creative aspects and some hints 🩷 thank you, as always 😊
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so welcome 🌷🤍🌷
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You’re quite an interesting person ✨️
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Thanks Steven! 😊 you’re too kind to say that! ✨ Hope you are well! ☕️
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Thanks for sharing:)
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You can still fulfil your dream of being a professional photographer. Keep taking your pictures. We’re all surrounded by awesome, wonderful and amazing moments that just need to be captured on a camera. (I hope that made sense 😂🤦🏽♂️) Never give up 👌
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Yes it makes sense 😊 thank you very much for your kind and encouraging words. If I were to ever seriously pursue photography, it most likely would be a side thing for me 🙏 appreciated
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Take your camera out with you on your walks or whatever and you don’t know what you could capture or see and capture this moment through your lens 👌📷📸
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I usually do! 😊 you never know what interesting stuff you’re gonna see, you’re right about that. The world is an interesting place to say the least 🤣
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I thought I’d be maybe preaching to the choir about taking your camera with you everywhere 😂
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Maude, hehe
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So true about some people choosing to keep their identity hidden, I am one of those because this is my safe place, where I can be honest and blunt and say the things I am unable to say to those around me. The deepest parts of me.
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I think there is nothing wrong with that at all. We all need to purge and let our things out into the open, and if anonymity affords that, then it is what it is
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Recurring neck pain is no joke! Ever more reasons to make your dreamland setting cozy, I suppose. ❤ I'm not sure if I knew you also have a brother, and I'm surprised you're a youngest!
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Haha awww ❤️ thank you 🙏 yeah definitely no joke, and forget sleeping wrong, ugh. 😫 I hope you are getting some rest 🙂
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I enjoyed learning more about you, Laura and sweet that your grandfather chose your middle name. My grandfather chose my nickname, but that’s a family secret. 🤫😁
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Aww thanks Michele! 💕 Haha 🤣 and that’s interesting how they choose some different names for us, thankful mine is what it is 😆 that would have been a name I probably would’ve really loathed which is harsh to go through in life (seen that happen to lots of people unfortunately!) thank god for pen names! 😀
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You’re very welcome, Laura. 💕 That reminds me… my name was almost Tanya until my mom had a last-minute change of heart. A fine name, just doesn’t feel right for me. 😄
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