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About bettyliedtke

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So far bettyliedtke has created 716 blog entries.

A stormy situation hits close to home

Thunderstorms were predicted for yesterday, and the sky was turning dark as my husband and I finished our shopping and left the store. “Something nasty is coming,” I said, “and it’s more than just a thunderstorm.” When you grow up in the Midwest, as we both did, you get to know the smell and feel of what we call “tornado weather.” It doesn’t mean a tornado is definitely coming, but it means the conditions are right for one to develop. The sky continued to darken [...]

By |April 28th, 2017|Columns, Faith, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on A stormy situation hits close to home

Making the most of a squirrelly situation

It started with a few creaks and groans on the back wall, which I took to be house-settling noises, ones I would get used to before long. Then I heard some tapping sounds. My husband was working outside, so I looked out the window to see if he was on the deck doing some maintenance on the outside wall. He wasn’t. By the time I heard the pitter-patter of little feet, I knew we had one of two problems. Either the house was haunted or, [...]

By |April 21st, 2017|Columns|Comments Off on Making the most of a squirrelly situation

Enjoying a Different Kind of “Night Out”

The sun was just starting to set as I drove home from the first meeting at my new Toastmasters club. I drove slowly, partly because I’m not entirely familiar yet with the winding roads, and partly because it was the time of day when deer often dart out into the street. We’ve already seen plenty of them, including – along the side of the road – some that didn’t quite make it across safely. When I got home, my husband was sitting out back on [...]

By |April 14th, 2017|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on Enjoying a Different Kind of “Night Out”

Times change

My alarm clock was particularly jarring when it went off this morning. Not because it woke me up out of a sound sleep – I was actually already awake – but because I hardly ever hear it anymore. Since my husband retired and we moved to Georgia a month ago, there have been only a few times when we’ve even set our alarm clock. This morning, it was because we were expecting a delivery that was scheduled for early in the day, and we wanted [...]

By |April 7th, 2017|Columns, Values|Comments Off on Times change

“Old friends” can’t be replaced by new technology

A landline telephone. Paper calendars. Print versions of books and newspapers. These are items I refuse to part with, even under pressure – sometimes subtle, sometimes intense – to embrace their technological replacements. Holding on to them often feels like a losing battle, but it’s one I’ll keep fighting nonetheless. It’s a battle that’s come to the forefront, in different ways and with different results, during my recent move to Georgia. Wherever we’ve lived, I’ve always subscribed to a daily newspaper – the Chicago Tribune, [...]

By |March 31st, 2017|Columns, Travel|Comments Off on “Old friends” can’t be replaced by new technology

Old and new keep crossing paths

It’s true that change can be difficult, and that old habits die hard. Yet it’s surprising how quickly we can get used to something new, often without even realizing it. After a week and a half in our new home in Georgia, my husband and I flew back to Minnesota to retrieve our other car and the rest of our belongings, and once again make the 1200-mile road trip to Georgia. While in Minnesota, I joked about how odd it felt not to have a [...]

By |March 24th, 2017|Columns, Travel|Comments Off on Old and new keep crossing paths

Georgia, not Minnesota!

My favorite frozen fountain!

By |March 18th, 2017|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Georgia, not Minnesota!

My Favorite Days

One of my favorite days of the year has always been the first Monday after we move our clocks ahead in the Spring. Although Daylight Saving Time actually begins on Sunday, it seems to have a bigger impact on Monday. That may be because on Sunday I’m still dealing with the loss of an hour of sleep, but more likely it’s because weekday routines and timetables are more firmly set than they are on the weekend. On Monday afternoon, it’s much easier to suddenly recognize [...]

By |March 17th, 2017|Columns, Travel|Comments Off on My Favorite Days

Everything’s different, and yet it’s all the same

These contradictory thoughts have been popping into my head often as my husband and I completed our move from Minnesota to Georgia. His final day of work was last Friday, and by Sunday we were packed up and on the road. We spent a day in Chicago visiting family, then took two days to drive down to our new home. We’ve made the drive to Chicago several times a year during the time we’ve lived in Minnesota, so we’ve gotten used to the landmarks, the [...]

By |March 10th, 2017|Columns, Faith, Family, Toastmasters, Travel|Comments Off on Everything’s different, and yet it’s all the same

A final column bids a fond farewell

I’m not thinking of this as goodbye, just as a change of venue. Still, it’s a strange feeling to be writing my final column for the Chanhassen Villager. This weekend is when my husband and I pack up for good and leave for our new home in Georgia. I plan to continue writing even after we move, I’m just not sure what that’s going to look or feel like in the days and weeks to come. It’s been exactly 16 years since my first Villager [...]

By |March 3rd, 2017|Buried Treasure, Columns, Family, Making a Difference, Quotes and Sayings, Values, Writing|Comments Off on A final column bids a fond farewell