Family – Page 13 – FindYourBuriedTreasure

That’s the way the cookie crumbles

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I’m not so sure. I’m hosting our neighborhood book club meeting next week, and the book we’re reading this month is one I wrote. It includes 30 of my columns from the Chanhassen Villager – most of them dealing with nuggets of insight and inspiration that can be found in everyday life. Our book club meetings begin with lunch at noon, followed by the book discussion. Since several of my columns mention different foods [...]

By bettyliedtke|November 10th, 2017|Columns, Family, Values, Writing|2 Comments

A surprise visit – or two

I have often read that even if you work from home, you should get dressed every day as if you were going in to the office. How you’re dressed changes your attitude, your attention, and even your voice when you’re talking on the phone. And I know this to be true. A “Decluttering” website I used to subscribe to takes this premise even further, saying you should get dressed all the way to your shoes, which should have lace-up ties or buckles. No slip-ons that [...]

By bettyliedtke|October 6th, 2017|Columns, Family|Comments Off

Closer to Home

We were nervous and concerned when we went to bed last Sunday night. Not for ourselves, but for our daughter and son-in-law in Orlando, which was expected to get pounded by Hurricane Irma during the night. On Monday morning, we talked to our daughter, who told us they had a scary and sleepless night, and now had a yard full of tree limbs and other debris, but only minor damage from the storm. And, miraculously, they still had power, while most of the surrounding areas [...]

By bettyliedtke|September 16th, 2017|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being, Values|Comments Off

Old friends bring new memories

Some friends of ours were visiting for a few days. This is the couple who introduced my husband and me to each other some 40-plus years ago. I’ve known the wife since first grade, and the guys have known each other since working together during summer jobs in high school. My husband and I got married exactly one year after our friends did, and we were all in each other’s wedding parties. For many years we celebrated our anniversaries together. We often went camping together, [...]

By bettyliedtke|July 28th, 2017|Columns, Family, Values|Comments Off

A visit from a night stalker

I had a dream the other night in which I got a phone call from a young man who was commenting on one of my recent columns. His voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him, and he wouldn’t give me his name. He was very complimentary, and referenced other columns I had written over the years, so he was obviously either a long-time reader of my column, or someone I knew personally – or with whom I had crossed paths at some point. [...]

By bettyliedtke|July 14th, 2017|Columns, Family, Writing|Comments Off

An “oops” or two won’t spoil the fun

I accidentally bought a box of brownie mix, instead of chocolate cake mix, for a dessert I was planning to make. We got half-decaf – instead of full-strength coffee – by mistake, and didn’t realize it till we were making the first pot of coffee in a house filled with can’t-wake-up-without-it coffee drinkers. And just for good measure, it rained all afternoon and evening on Friday – starting just minutes after we got on the boat, planning to spend a few hours exploring the lake. [...]

By bettyliedtke|July 7th, 2017|Columns, Family, Holidays, Success, Values|Comments Off

A delayed flight brings airport adventures

We were just getting out of our car in the parking garage at the Atlanta Airport when I got the text message from my sister. “Have you left for the airport yet? Because we’re going to be late.” My sister and her son were coming to visit us for a long weekend, and we were picking them up at the airport. But after they had boarded their plane in Chicago, a minor problem was discovered with a cargo door on their plane. Maintenance was still [...]

By bettyliedtke|June 23rd, 2017|Columns, Family, Travel|Comments Off

Sharing a Plane Ride with a Fascinating Lady

We flew to Chicago last weekend to visit my in-laws. Seated next to me on the plane was an elderly woman who reminded me of Rosa Parks. We became fast friends after I helped her with her seat belt, which was twisted in such a way that it wouldn’t fasten properly. She later returned the favor by helping me pull my tray table out of the armrest between us. We chatted, off and on, during the flight. I learned that she’s almost 91, that she’s [...]

By bettyliedtke|June 17th, 2017|Columns, Family, Travel|Comments Off

A small-town school makes a big, big difference

Often, when I look at what’s going on in our country and the world, I get depressed, scared, and extremely concerned about where we’re headed. At other times, however, I see things that fill me with hope and optimism for the future. Last week was one of those. I spent several days last week in a small town in Michigan, talking – and listening – to hundreds of students in dozens of classes, mostly kindergarten through middle school. I was with Tabitha, my friend from [...]

By bettyliedtke|May 19th, 2017|Columns, Family, Making a Difference, Uganda, Values|2 Comments

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 bettyliedtke|April 14th, 2017|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off

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