Her round belly beautifully protruded from her shirt.
It was obvious that her delivery date was quite soon.
She had that mother’s glow.
She had a sweet peacefulness about her.

I reached out and touched her belly.
It was as if, despite the layers of clothes and her skin, I was somehow touching her baby.
It was perfectly acceptable to do so.
In fact, it is the kind of touch that happens quite frequently to pregnant women.

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My entire family was home for Easter, which was a blessing.
We talked and laughed; we remembered and dreamed.
Even if the stories were heard before, there is joy in the retelling.
The stories connect us; they are part of our history.

It was the dress up box that we were remembering.
The dress up box used to be in my youngest daughter’s closet.
The dress up box was really a small wicker hamper.
It was just the right height for my children to open in order to retrieve things.

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I broke a bone in my foot the first week of college.
It would be easy to say it was clumsiness.
However, that was not the case.
It had been raining but even the rain was not the reason.

The reason I broke my foot was because of my shoes.
They were the shoes of choice on many college campuses.
I wanted to have a pair so badly.
I got my wish and a broken foot to show for it.

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It was a sale that was to benefit our local crisis pregnancy center.
I was invited to the sale and planned my Saturday accordingly.
I knew that my youngest daughter would be home on spring break.
I also knew my daughter-in-love would be here for the weekend.

It was a sale for a line of clothing that is quite popular right now.
The bright colors and comfortable fabric make this clothing line a favorite of many.
The clothing line is also known for its leggings.
I like the clothing line because of their dresses.

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The speed limit is 45 miles per hour.
I enjoy taking this particular, scenic road since it usually has no traffic.
When I drive on this road, my route is usually direct.
There are no traffic lights just rural scenery.

I left my house about three hours before a scheduled pedicure.
Even in the winter. this is one bit of pampering I enjoy.
I had errands to run before my 1:00 appointment.
I tried to plan my route so I would drive in a complete square from start to finish.

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It was meant to be decoration.
It was meant to mimic something often seen in New England.
The origin was thought to be from Williamsburg.
History has shown that is not the case.

A fruit fan is an array of lemons, apples, oranges, and greens surrounding a pineapple.
The pineapple is a Colonial sign of hospitality.
The Colonial Williamsburg fruit fan did not actually originate in Virginia.
The fruit fan did not even begin during Colonial times.

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I drove down the street and stopped at my mailbox before going down the driveway.
I got out of my car and opened the box.
It was empty.
It was not a federal holiday; it is unusual not to get any mail at all.

I got back in my car and began to drive down the driveway.
It was then I saw the package.
The package from the online company with the logo that looks like a smile.
The mail woman drove down the driveway to deliver the package with all of my mail on top.

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My husband says that I can see like a cat.
Let me clarify.
I can see well in a dark room.
He will inevitably stub his toe.

When he told me that I can see like a cat, I had to do some research.
I had to discover if it was true that cats see better at night than humans.
I had to see why I can maneuver around a dark room but my husband cannot.
I never really thought about it before.

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I went to a private elementary school.
My school did not have a cafeteria.
Lunch was eaten at our desk each day.
As soon as you were finished your lunch, you could go out for recess.

Each student was expected to bring a small towel so their desktop would be protected.
It was interesting to see what kind of towels each student brought.
Some people had two or three paper towels to lay on their desk.
Some people had old dish towels that tended to hang over the edge.

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A portion of the road was closed.
I only have to go that way on occasion.
Today of all days, I knew I would have to use that portion of the road.
However, before I drove in that direction, I had other things I needed to do.

I was trying to make my drive as direct as possible.
I was trying to be wise about the route I would take.
I really didn’t think about an alternative to the detour until I was driving home.
I wondered if I really needed to go in that direction or could it wait until another day?

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