The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on March 17, 2011. One of the more popular pastimes this winter has been complaining about the cold weather and the amount of snow we received. Understandably, too, since we were hit with several record-breaking snowstorms that dumped more and more snow on top of snow that was already more than we could handle....
The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on March 10, 2011. Fasten your seatbelt, because I’m getting ready to obliterate one of your longest-held, most comfortable beliefs about life on this planet. And I’m going to do it with one word: zebra....
The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on March 3, 2011. Ever since I was in college, it was a dream of mine to be a newspaper columnist. Over the next 25 years or so, I had a number of writing submissions published in newspapers and other publications. I won several newspaper writing contests. And, when my kids were young and playing AYSO Soccer, I was the person responsible for getting game reports into the local paper – although the only journalistic requirements for that were to say who won, list the game scores, and make sure every kid on the team was mentioned at least once in each article....
The column “Find Your Buried Treasure” appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on February 24, 2011. I spoke last week to a group that had about 50 or 60 members present. After the program, a number of them came over to talk to me. Most simply thanked me for coming, and said they enjoyed the program. Some had specific questions or comments, or stories they wanted to share. A few said things like, “You really gave me some new things to think about,” or “I got a lot of great ideas from you. I can’t wait to try them out.” Those are the comments I always enjoy and appreciate the most. But then, just before I left, someone told me something I don’t recall ever hearing before. It was a simple observation, but one that I will always treasure. I hope it will always be true, and I hope it will always show....
The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on February 17, 2011. I had coffee with a new member of our Toastmasters Club after our meeting last week. She offered me part of the whole-wheat croissant she had ordered, and I took a small piece, just to have a taste. It was delicious, much more so than I expected. I thanked her for sharing it, and for introducing me to something I might never have ordered on my own....
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...”
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...
The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on January 20, 2011. I think I’m on to something here, and I can’t wait to see where it will lead. I’m pretty sure it’s taking me toward better health and habits, and an even more productive beginning and peaceful close to each day. It started with the candle ritual I wrote about in my column last week. After receiving a scented candle as a Christmas gift, I began a tradition of beginning each workday by lighting the candle, making a cup of tea, and sitting at my kitchen table as I organized and prioritized everything I had to do that day...
The column "Find Your Buried Treasure" appears weekly in the Chanhassen (MN) Villager. This column was published on January 13, 2011. Sometimes it’s a lightbulb that goes off with a flash of brilliance, giving us an innovative and exciting new idea. For me, it was a candle. Specifically, it was a scented candle that I got as a Christmas gift. And it’s become part of a new daily practice for me, one that has already put more peace and pleasure into my morning, and more productivity and efficiency into the rest of my day...