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About bettyliedtke

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So far bettyliedtke has created 716 blog entries.

A night-time clean-up

I was doing housework in my sleep last night. Not doing it, exactly, but dreaming about it. Apparently, we were having company, and in my dream I had just finished vacuuming, and cleaning the mirrors and windows, and was in the process of sweeping the floor. Thankfully, I woke up before I had to scrub the toilets. I don’t recall ever dreaming about doing housework before, and whenever I wake up remembering a dream vividly, I like to try to figure out what in my [...]

By |January 21st, 2022|Accountability, Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on A night-time clean-up

A Powerful New Phrase

The only language I’m fluent in is English, although I know a handful of words and phrases – like hello, goodbye, good morning, good night, please, and thank you – in half a dozen or so other languages. And, thanks to watching Sesame Street with my kids when they were small, I can sing the numbers one to ten in Spanish. There are limited times and places I have the opportunity to use this knowledge, but I just learned a new phrase in Japanese that [...]

By |January 15th, 2022|Accountability, Columns, Health and Well-being, Quotes and Sayings|Comments Off on A Powerful New Phrase

Getting there was NOT half the fun

“A beer truck knocked down a power pole at the Plaza. Traffic is being rerouted, and your electricity is out. Merry Christmas!” That’s the text message I sent to my sister – who was out running errands at the time – when we got to her house, where we were staying overnight on our way to Minnesota a few days before Christmas. At first, she thought I was joking, but since there were no laughing or winking emojis accompanying my text, she quickly realized I [...]

By |January 8th, 2022|Columns, Family, Holidays, Quotes and Sayings, Travel|Comments Off on Getting there was NOT half the fun

First Thing in the Morning

I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking about what New Year’s Resolutions I want to make this year. I’ve got several in mind, and just decided on my main one. I’ve written in the past about the power of “First Thing in the Morning.” For many people, first thing in the morning is the most productive and efficient time of day. I have many examples of that in my own life. I used to roll out of bed and plop myself in front of [...]

By |December 31st, 2021|Accountability, Columns, Health and Well-being, Holidays, Writing|Comments Off on First Thing in the Morning

A Holiday Wish

My message this week is a simple, but universal one. I wish for you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. I hope you find the peace and comfort we dream of and sing about in our hymns and carols at this time of year. I pray that you stay safe and healthy as you enjoy whatever festivities and celebrations you take part in with family or friends. And I hope you find the New Year to be one of promise and possibilities, with [...]

By |December 24th, 2021|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being, Holidays|Comments Off on A Holiday Wish

Oh Deer!

Living in a rural, wooded area, we share space in our neighborhood with lots of critters. It’s not unusual for a possum – and sometimes an armadillo – to stroll across our back deck at night, and we often see deer in the front yard, nibbling on my rosebush, or in the back yard, nibbling in my herb garden. Deer sightings along the side of the road – or running across the road, right in front of us – are almost a daily occurrence, especially [...]

By |December 17th, 2021|Columns, Holidays|Comments Off on Oh Deer!

A moment of relief

I had another blog post written and ready to go, but I had a change of heart after watching all the news about the devastating tornadoes that wreaked havoc throughout the Midwest over the weekend. It didn’t feel right to post a light-hearted, holiday-themed message when there are so many people who lost their homes, their businesses, or their lives in these unprecedented storms. As someone who grew up in a “Tornado Alley,” and has been in the direct path of a tornado on several [...]

By |December 13th, 2021|Columns, Faith, Family|Comments Off on A moment of relief

An Unusual Day

It was an unusual day, to say the least. I spent a fair amount of last Wednesday morning at the police station and in court. And I spent part of the afternoon in the sheriff’s office. I was also in the city and county administrative offices and, for good measure, the county animal shelter – which is right next door to the sheriff’s office, although I don’t think they’re related. I hope you’ve already assumed I wasn’t taken to any of these places by the [...]

By |December 6th, 2021|Accountability, Columns, Making a Difference, Quotes and Sayings, Values|Comments Off on An Unusual Day

A New Tradition?

We’re apparently developing a new Thanksgiving tradition, although it’s not one of our own choosing. Our power went out yesterday, just as it did last year on Thanksgiving Day. On that day, it happened early in the morning, and didn’t disrupt our plans too badly. Because of COVID, it was the first year ever that my husband and I were spending Thanksgiving at home, with just the two of us. I still wanted to have a traditional dinner, so we cooked a turkey – a [...]

By |November 26th, 2021|Columns, Family, Holidays, Values|Comments Off on A New Tradition?

This Year’s Blessings

I don’t know where or when he heard it and got it stuck in his head, but my husband was singing and humming a line from an old Irving Berlin song all weekend. The line is, “And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.” With Thanksgiving just a few days away, ‘tis the season for counting our blessings. Which we should do all year long – and many of us do, of course – but it’s more on our minds, and talked about out in the [...]

By |November 22nd, 2021|Columns, Family, Holidays, Travel, Values|Comments Off on This Year’s Blessings