Columns – Page 11 – FindYourBuriedTreasure

A Reason to Celebrate

For those of you who aren’t aware of this, April is National Poetry Month. I know this because a friend of mine is a poet and celebrates it every year, and also because Georgia Writers Museum always has poetry-related events during April, whether it’s an open mic night for poetry readings, a “Meet the Author” event featuring published poets, or a contest for students asking them to write a poem – or submit their favorite poem, along with a paragraph explaining why it’s their favorite. [...]

By bettyliedtke|April 3rd, 2022|Columns, Toastmasters, Writing|2 Comments

Lost and Found

“What have you lost that you’d most like to find?” That was the question at a Toastmasters Table Topics contest I recently attended, via Zoom, at the club in Minnesota I belonged to when I first joined Toastmasters. “Table Topics” is a part of every Toastmasters meeting, and it’s designed to help members learn to think on their feet and organize their thoughts quickly by responding – for one to two minutes – to an open-ended question. In a Table Topics competition, the contestants are [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 27th, 2022|Columns, Family, Gifts and Talents, Toastmasters, Values|4 Comments

A Tough Week to Write About

I had a really difficult time writing my blog this week. Like many people, I am horrified by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the atrocities being inflicted on the Ukrainian people. Although it’s not the kind of thing I normally write about, I thought it was warranted at this time. To not even acknowledge it felt like I would be closing my eyes to all that was happening there, or being dismissive of something that is already having world-changing consequences. But what could I say [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 20th, 2022|Columns|Comments Off

Lead the Way

My last Leadership class was on Wednesday, and the focus of this class was Recreation. We visited a number of parks and recreational facilities, as well as our local Water and Sewer Authority, and Wallace Dam, which separates Lake Oconee from Lake Sinclair. Although the cold, cloudy day – and the forecast of rain – drove us indoors for part of the day, we still managed to get outside for many of our planned activities. For one of them, we were divided into two teams, [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 13th, 2022|Accountability, Columns, Success, Values|Comments Off

What a treat!

I spent most of last weekend at the Georgia Writers Museum, helping with their first Annual Writers Retreat. As a member of the Board and the Programs Committee, I was thrilled to see how well-attended it was, how enthusiastic and involved everyone seemed to be, and how smoothly the entire event flowed. As a writer, I appreciated the knowledge I gained, the other writers I met, and the inspiration I received. As I drove home from the retreat each day, my mind was filled with [...]

By bettyliedtke|March 7th, 2022|Columns, Health and Well-being, Writing|Comments Off

Well?

I had my annual wellness visit with my doctor last week. I guess they don’t call it a “physical” anymore because it’s not just about checking physical health. There’s a mental and emotional health component as well. They’re all related, of course, so some of the questions on the form I had to fill out asked if – and how often – I’ve felt sad or depressed in the last four weeks, and how many days, if any, I had trouble falling asleep or getting [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 28th, 2022|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being, Writing|Comments Off

A Change of Heart

I’ve learned a number of things since my husband had a heart attack two weeks ago. Among them are how many steps it takes to circle our house, where to find tofu in the grocery store, and how quickly you can get used to something when your life depends on it. Actually, I already knew that last one, since I had to make a number of dietary and lifestyle changes years ago when I sustained severe heart damage from chemotherapy. Until then, I never thought [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 21st, 2022|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off

A Heart-Stopping Experience

“You should get some good stories and blog posts out of this,” my husband said. He was right. And the reason he made that comment is the same reason I didn’t get a blog post out at all last weekend. Last Saturday morning, my husband had a heart attack. He was at the health club working out, when he felt a tightness in his chest. Nothing serious, he thought. The kind of thing that happens every once in a while, for any number of reasons. [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 12th, 2022|Columns, Faith, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off

A Puzzling Situation

One of my fond childhood memories is working on jigsaw puzzles. We’d set up the card table in the living room, and work on the puzzle whenever we had a chance. As the puzzle got close to completion, my sisters and I were in the habit of taking and hiding one of the pieces, because we each wanted to be the one to put in the last piece. I don’t remember what negotiations were involved in bringing out the missing pieces, but we always got [...]

By bettyliedtke|January 31st, 2022|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off

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 bettyliedtke|January 21st, 2022|Accountability, Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off

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