Columns – Page 36 – FindYourBuriedTreasure

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 bettyliedtke|March 10th, 2017|Columns, Faith, Family, Toastmasters, Travel|Comments Off

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 bettyliedtke|March 3rd, 2017|Buried Treasure, Columns, Family, Making a Difference, Quotes and Sayings, Values, Writing|Comments Off

Changing weather can change our perspective

Like many people here in Minnesota, I spent much of last weekend enjoying – and marveling at – our unseasonably warm weather. The most common refrain from everyone was, “This is February? It feels like Spring!” It seemed almost surreal to go out wearing a sweater or light jacket instead of a heavy winter coat. I went on an outing downtown with some friends on Sunday, and they laughed when they came to pick me up and found me sitting outside in a lawn chair, [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 24th, 2017|Columns, Values|Comments Off

It’s party time! And you’re invited.

A friend of mine, who’s also a long-time reader of my column, asked me a while ago if there were any send-off events in the works as I prepare to move out-of-state. If there weren’t, she said she’d love to help organize one. I hadn’t thought about anything like that, but I was trying to plan a book launch party to celebrate the book I recently published, which includes a number of the columns I’ve written over the years. I’ve been to several book launches, [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 17th, 2017|Buried Treasure, Columns, Gifts and Talents, Writing|Comments Off

Super Bowl generates stories of life and sports

“Well, there’s always next year.” I remember saying this often, especially at the end of football and baseball seasons in Chicago. Not that I was a big sports fan, but still, the end of most seasons prompted a look ahead, with hope for the future. Even though we’ve lived in several different areas of the country, and are about to relocate to another one, my husband and I have remained staunch Chicago fans in terms of sports teams. And it’s been an interesting journey, literally [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 10th, 2017|Columns, Family, Travel|Comments Off

Never get bored of education

I was at St. Catherine’s last Saturday, taking part in a Toastmasters Leadership Institute. I wasn’t familiar with the campus, and it took me a little while to find the correct building. I thought I was being clever by simply following the line of cars pulling into one of the parking lots, until I found out they were there for a volleyball tournament, not the Toastmasters program. It was a bit of a distance to the building I actually needed to be in, but I [...]

By bettyliedtke|February 3rd, 2017|Columns, Family, Toastmasters|Comments Off

Forever friends are always close by

“You’ll always be my friend… You know too much.” That was the saying embroidered on the quilt I gave to a close friend of mine for Christmas a number of years ago. This lighthearted sentiment is similar in tone to another phrase that’s often given as the definition of a friend, which is that a friend is someone who knows everything about you – and likes you anyway. Both these sayings came up as part of a talk I gave last week to a women’s [...]

By bettyliedtke|January 27th, 2017|Buried Treasure, Columns, Faith, Professional Speaking, Values|Comments Off

Much in our lives is a matter of perspective

It was one of those frigid, below-zero days we had a few weeks ago, when the biting wind made it feel even colder. “It’s supposed to be 30 degrees this weekend,” my husband said. I love it when the weather can still be below freezing, but it feels like a heat wave compared to what it’s been. Now, however, this wasn’t particularly welcome news. “It figures,” I said. “Just when we’re going out of town for the weekend.” We had planned a quick trip to [...]

By bettyliedtke|January 20th, 2017|Achieving Dreams and Goals, Columns, Family, Travel, Values|Comments Off

A new chapter is about to begin

As I turn the calendar page over to a brand new year, I’m also getting ready to turn the page to a brand new chapter of my life. It’s always been our dream that when my husband retired, we would relocate to someplace warm. That time is now, and suddenly something that we’ve always talked about – but that always seemed way off in the future – is now right around the corner. We’ve researched different areas of the country, and have visited several of [...]

By bettyliedtke|January 13th, 2017|Achieving Dreams and Goals, Columns, Family, Travel|Comments Off

The best gift ever

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.” “No, no, no,” I told him. “It’s a good cry. These are happy tears.” It was the morning of Christmas Eve, and my husband, nephew and I had just finished breakfast at the restaurant my dad used to go to every morning. He always sat with a group of friends he’s known forever, and whenever we were in town, we’d usually join them for breakfast. “We still miss your dad,” the owner of the [...]

By bettyliedtke|January 6th, 2017|Columns, Faith, Family, Holidays|Comments Off

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