I’ve spent a fair amount of time thinking about what New Year’s Resolutions I want to make this year. I’ve got several in mind, and just decided on my main one. I’ve written in the past about the power of “First Thing in the Morning.” For many people, first thing in the morning is the most productive and efficient time of day. I have many examples of that in my own life. I used to roll out of bed and plop myself in front of [...]
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 [...]
Rarely have I ever used my column or blog for a public service announcement, especially one on a controversial topic, but I’m going to make an exception this week. If you haven’t already done so, PLEASE get vaccinated against COVID-19. If not for yourself, then for your loved ones, for your children and grandchildren, for your friends and neighbors. The people who would miss you most if you succumbed to the disease, and the people for whom your heart would break if you lost them [...]
“It feels so good to get together again,” I said to a friend the other day. “It feels so good to laugh again,” she responded. And that, I think, pretty much sums it up. We were part of a neighborhood group that used to get together once a month to play Bunko, a dice game that’s fairly mindless, allowing for plenty of chatting, joking, and nibbling on snacks in between taking turns rolling the dice. It requires 12 players, who switch partners after every game, [...]
“Another thing I am enjoying about in-person meetings,” a friend of mine said, “is the excuse to perk up my wardrobe and do a little shopping!” Her comment was in response to my blog post last week, about going back to in-person meetings and events after a year of doing them online. I was noting that we once again had to factor in travel time and traffic, which we didn’t need to do when we got to these meetings by sitting down in front of [...]
I want to wish a Happy Mother’s Day today to all the moms reading this, and also to everyone who’s done any “mothering” – especially over the past year. The need for caretakers has been astronomical during this extremely challenging year, and many people have taken on roles and responsibilities they never imagined themselves in. People I already considered to be unsung heroes – teachers and healthcare workers being high on the list – found their jobs becoming even more demanding. Many of them rose [...]
I had an appointment for a medical scan Friday morning in Atlanta, which is almost a two-hour drive on a good day with little traffic. Since there is rarely a good day with little traffic in Atlanta, and since I had to be there at 8:30, we left our house around 6 a.m. It was still dark, but before long a pink glow in the eastern sky signaled the coming sunrise. My husband was driving, so I was able to sit and watch the sky [...]
We visited our daughter in Florida last weekend – the first time we’ve seen her in almost a year and a half. It was a much shorter drive than when we visited our son and his family in Minnesota a few weeks ago. Plus it didn’t involve any overnight stays along the way. Still, we took all the necessary precautions, plus a weekend’s worth of masks and hand sanitizer, as we hit the road. On the few stops we made – for gas or a [...]