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About bettyliedtke

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So far bettyliedtke has created 716 blog entries.

A Week of Reunions

It was my husband’s 50th high school reunion,  but we made it a week filled with reunions, from high school classmates and college buddies to other friends and family members we haven’t seen in quite a while. The high school reunion was the main reason for our trip to Chicago. But our first visit when we got into town was with friends we’ve known for well over fifty years. In our younger days, we used to go camping together, often with little more than a [...]

By |October 17th, 2022|Columns, Family, Travel, Values|Comments Off on A Week of Reunions

Out of Town

I’m out of town for a 50-Year High School Reunion, and visiting some family and friends along the way. I’m sure I’ll have a few good stories to tell when I get back! Stay safe! October 5, 2022 ©Betty Liedtke, 2022 I welcome your comments, but please be aware that all comments will be moderated and approved before appearing on this blog. This is to protect all of us from unwanted spam.

By |October 5th, 2022|Columns|Comments Off on Out of Town

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” It’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it? It’s also the name of an organization I learned about recently. I was working a volunteer shift at a Non-Profit Expo sponsored by the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce. I was there with Georgia Writers Museum, one of about a dozen charities and non-profits at the Expo. In between the time we spent talking with visitors at our own tables, we had time to visit each other’s. I enjoyed meeting new people, as well as chatting with [...]

By |September 26th, 2022|Columns, Making a Difference, Values|Comments Off on A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Endings and Beginnings

“I can’t believe it’s September already.” A number of people have been saying this over the last week or so, and I thought it myself as I turned the calendar page over to the new month. (Yes, I still use a paper calendar on the kitchen counter, in addition to the digital one on my phone.) There’s something about September. It seems to contain more pronounced beginnings and endings than other months. Maybe it’s because the Labor Day weekend is the unofficial end of summer. [...]

By |September 10th, 2022|Columns, Holidays|Comments Off on Endings and Beginnings

What this angry world needs

“What this angry world needs is a lot more hope.” That was the headline for an opinion column in our local newspaper last week. And it got me thinking. While I don’t argue with the value and importance of hope in our lives, I think there’s something else this angry world needs even more: respect. Treating others with respect is not necessarily the same as respecting them, although it would be nice to do both. But even if there are people who haven’t yet earned [...]

By |August 30th, 2022|Columns, Making a Difference, Quotes and Sayings, Respect, Values|Comments Off on What this angry world needs

What Nobody Knows

Every so often, I find myself quoting the author W. Somerset Maugham, who once said, “There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” I thought of that Saturday while attending a “Writing Children’s Books” Workshop at Georgia Writers Museum. The workshop featured four successful children’s book authors, speaking about different aspects of writing, illustrating, and publishing. Their presentations included their own personal stories – how they got started, what inspired them, and best practices based on their experiences. [...]

By |August 22nd, 2022|Columns, Quotes and Sayings, Writing|Comments Off on What Nobody Knows

A Big Little Hit

There was much in the news last week to spark outrage, no matter which side of the political divide you’re on. And, of course, that divide got deeper and wider as time went on. Which is all the more reason an unrelated incident in the news was so welcome and heartwarming. I’m referring to the Little League Regional Championship game in which a batter got knocked down by a wild pitch that hit him in the helmet. That, of course, wasn’t the heartwarming part. It [...]

By |August 15th, 2022|Columns, Making a Difference, Respect, Values|Comments Off on A Big Little Hit

Ending on a Sour Note

I know I’m a little late coming to the sourdough party. Bread-baking got really popular during the pandemic, when most of us were locked down and looking for things to do at home. Banana bread and sourdough bread seemed to be at the top of the list. I never got into bread-baking then, although I really like sourdough bread. I remember one time – long ago, during a vacation in San Francisco – buying a packet of sourdough starter from a little shop on Fisherman’s [...]

By |August 8th, 2022|Columns, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on Ending on a Sour Note

Canceled Communication

“What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” There are many times in my life when that quote, by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, has rung true, both literally and figuratively – such as when I had breast cancer, followed by severe heart damage from chemotherapy. And when my kids were teenagers. It happened again recently, when my email address went bananas. The first I knew of a problem was when I got a phone call from a friend who said she had tried responding to an [...]

By |July 31st, 2022|Columns|Comments Off on Canceled Communication

The Travelers Return

We’re back home now after almost a month on the road. The first trip was to visit our daughter in California. Then, after a few days at home – just enough time to unpack, do laundry, repack, and celebrate the 4th of July – we headed back out again to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids in Minnesota. It goes without saying that we had a wonderful time visiting with family, and I could write a dozen posts just on that. But there were also [...]

By |July 17th, 2022|Columns, Family, Holidays, Travel|Comments Off on The Travelers Return