Today, I want to wish a Happy Mother’s Day to everyone who is – or has been – important to a child… To the ones who gave birth to them and raised them – which is often, but not always, the same person. To the ones who nurtured, educated, and inspired them. To the ones who stepped in and took over when Mom needed a break, or had to go back to work. To the ones who never had kids of their own, but was [...]
When I was very young, Easter Sunday meant walking up the hill to church for morning Mass, wearing a pretty dress and hat, white gloves, and ruffled anklets. Later in the afternoon would be a traditional Easter meal – sometimes at our house but usually at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Following that would be a few chocolate treats and marshmallow Peeps from our Easter baskets – especially welcome after having gone without candy of any kind all through Lent. When my kids were young, some things [...]
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 [...]
Living in a rural, wooded area, we share space in our neighborhood with lots of critters. It’s not unusual for a possum – and sometimes an armadillo – to stroll across our back deck at night, and we often see deer in the front yard, nibbling on my rosebush, or in the back yard, nibbling in my herb garden. Deer sightings along the side of the road – or running across the road, right in front of us – are almost a daily occurrence, especially [...]
We’re apparently developing a new Thanksgiving tradition, although it’s not one of our own choosing. Our power went out yesterday, just as it did last year on Thanksgiving Day. On that day, it happened early in the morning, and didn’t disrupt our plans too badly. Because of COVID, it was the first year ever that my husband and I were spending Thanksgiving at home, with just the two of us. I still wanted to have a traditional dinner, so we cooked a turkey – a [...]
I don’t know where or when he heard it and got it stuck in his head, but my husband was singing and humming a line from an old Irving Berlin song all weekend. The line is, “And you’ll fall asleep counting your blessings.” With Thanksgiving just a few days away, ‘tis the season for counting our blessings. Which we should do all year long – and many of us do, of course – but it’s more on our minds, and talked about out in the [...]
Our daughter-in-law gave birth on Friday night to their third child – and our third grandchild. We’re planning a trip to see them soon, and I’m hoping there won’t be any foul weather, new COVID variances or restrictions, or other issues that could get in the way of our plans. It wouldn’t be the first time. Their first child was born almost three years ago, in the middle of January. We gave them a bit of time to get settled into their new family dynamic [...]
Our last Toastmasters meeting had a theme of “Trick-or-Treat.” As the Table Topics Master at the meeting, I decided to have a costume party as the focus of my questions. The purpose of Table Topics is to help people learn to think on their feet and organize their thoughts quickly. The Table Topics Master will ask an open-ended, no-right-or-wrong-answer type of question, and then call on a member to respond. They have to talk for one to two minutes, and responses can range from serious [...]