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When friends and moms get together

I had coffee last weekend with a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time. We first met each other at a Toastmasters event years ago, and found we had a lot in common. We used to see each other pretty regularly, then our schedules, work and timetables shifted. We still touched base from time to time, but until last weekend I hadn’t seen her in ages. You can probably guess how the next part of this goes. After a big hug and a little [...]

By |December 9th, 2011|Columns, Family, Toastmasters, Travel, Uganda, Uncategorized|Comments Off on When friends and moms get together

I’m ba-aack. :>

My blog was down for longer than intended while some major renovations were being done on my website, but I'm back up and running now. I'm planning to continue posting my Chanhassen Villager column here every week, and I'm going to start including other little nuggets as well. I hope you'll enjoy reading my posts, and that you'll do a little exploring on the rest of my website, too. I'd love to hear what you think about it!

By |September 23rd, 2011|Uncategorized|Comments Off on I’m ba-aack. :>

Daughter’s Wedding is a Stellar Event

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on May 5, 2011. The wedding was out of this world. I say that partly because it had an “outer space” theme, and partly because everything about it was stunning. But mostly, because – well, because it was my daughter’s wedding. Since she lives in Florida now, and since that’s where her husband is from – and I’m still getting used to saying the word “husband” instead of boyfriend or fiancé – that’s where the wedding took place.

By |May 6th, 2011|Columns, Family, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Daughter’s Wedding is a Stellar Event

Whether coming or going, enjoy the experience

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on February 10, 2011. I was in my 40s when my husband, kids and I moved from the Chicago area – where we were born and raised – to Roanoke, Virginia. It was the first of several moves we made to different parts of the country. After a few months of living in Virginia, one of my neighbors asked, “So, Betty, are you starting to like it here in Roanoke, or do you still miss Chicago?” My one-word answer: “Yes...”

By |February 11th, 2011|Coaching, Columns, Family, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Whether coming or going, enjoy the experience

Feeling secure is more important than feeling comfortable

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on February 3, 2011. My husband and I flew to Chicago last weekend. It was the first time I’ve been on a plane since full body scanners were installed at the airport and the controversy began over the pat-down of passengers who refused to go through full-body scans. A number of people have complained – and even initiated lawsuits – over the pat-downs they describe as an aggressive and humiliating violation of their rights and their privacy. For several years now, I’ve had to go through the full pat-down every time I travel by air. Not because of any issues over a full-body scan, but because I’ve had a pacemaker implanted due to heart damage caused by chemotherapy years ago...

By |February 4th, 2011|Accountability, Columns, Family, Respect, Uncategorized, Values|Comments Off on Feeling secure is more important than feeling comfortable

Family events form a smooth, seamless weekend

The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on October 14, 2010. I drove down to Chicago with my sister last Friday, so we could drive up to Milwaukee on Saturday for a family wedding. After the wedding and luncheon, we drove back to Chicago so my sister could attend her high school reunion and I could spend some time with my dad. On Sunday, we had a birthday party for our nephew – who turned 13 this week – and for three other relatives whose birthdays have already passed, but recently enough that we could still get away with having a party for them as long as we were in the area. Then on Monday we drove back home to Minneapolis...

By |October 15th, 2010|Columns, Family, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Family events form a smooth, seamless weekend