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Where would you hang out?

When we lived in Minnesota, my sister and I used to visit the Minneapolis Farmers Market almost every spring. We have very different tastes and interests, so one of us would linger at a booth the other would barely glance at. We’d often pass each other up, and meet at the end of the aisle. While my sister spent time looking at flowers, I would be checking out herbs and veggies. She liked garden decorations and knick-knacks. I preferred kitchen gadgets and seasoning blends. I [...]

By |April 10th, 2022|Columns, Family, Values|Comments Off on Where would you hang out?

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

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

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 |February 21st, 2022|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on A Change of Heart

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 |February 12th, 2022|Columns, Faith, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on A Heart-Stopping Experience

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 |January 31st, 2022|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on A Puzzling Situation

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 |January 21st, 2022|Accountability, Columns, Family, Health and Well-being|Comments Off on A night-time clean-up

Getting there was NOT half the fun

“A beer truck knocked down a power pole at the Plaza. Traffic is being rerouted, and your electricity is out. Merry Christmas!” That’s the text message I sent to my sister – who was out running errands at the time – when we got to her house, where we were staying overnight on our way to Minnesota a few days before Christmas. At first, she thought I was joking, but since there were no laughing or winking emojis accompanying my text, she quickly realized I [...]

By |January 8th, 2022|Columns, Family, Holidays, Quotes and Sayings, Travel|Comments Off on Getting there was NOT half the fun

A Holiday Wish

My message this week is a simple, but universal one. I wish for you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season. I hope you find the peace and comfort we dream of and sing about in our hymns and carols at this time of year. I pray that you stay safe and healthy as you enjoy whatever festivities and celebrations you take part in with family or friends. And I hope you find the New Year to be one of promise and possibilities, with [...]

By |December 24th, 2021|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being, Holidays|Comments Off on A Holiday Wish

A moment of relief

I had another blog post written and ready to go, but I had a change of heart after watching all the news about the devastating tornadoes that wreaked havoc throughout the Midwest over the weekend. It didn’t feel right to post a light-hearted, holiday-themed message when there are so many people who lost their homes, their businesses, or their lives in these unprecedented storms. As someone who grew up in a “Tornado Alley,” and has been in the direct path of a tornado on several [...]

By |December 13th, 2021|Columns, Faith, Family|Comments Off on A moment of relief