­

The Travelers Return

We’re back home now after almost a month on the road. The first trip was to visit our daughter in California. Then, after a few days at home – just enough time to unpack, do laundry, repack, and celebrate the 4th of July – we headed back out again to visit our son, daughter-in-law, and grandkids in Minnesota. It goes without saying that we had a wonderful time visiting with family, and I could write a dozen posts just on that. But there were also [...]

By |July 17th, 2022|Columns, Family, Holidays, Travel|Comments Off on The Travelers Return

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

This Year’s Blessings

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 [...]

By |November 22nd, 2021|Columns, Family, Holidays, Travel, Values|Comments Off on This Year’s Blessings

It’s a boy!

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 [...]

By |November 8th, 2021|Columns, Family, Holidays, Travel|Comments Off on It’s a boy!

On the Road Again

We were returning home from Chicago after attending a family funeral, when one of the car’s warning lights went on. A rear tire was losing air. We weren’t exactly in the middle of nowhere, but it sure felt like it. We were somewhere between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, in an area of mountains and trees and a number of miles between towns. We finally reached the next exit, and pulled into the gas station closest to the interstate. My husband put air in the tire [...]

By |September 18th, 2021|Columns, Making a Difference, Travel, Values|Comments Off on On the Road Again

An extraordinary, ordinary visit

It was a lovely visit, and a very fun weekend. One of my sisters had been here before. The other sister, and her husband, had not. Schedules finally aligned, and they all were able to be here at the same time. The weather cooperated enough for us to spend some time out on the lake and at the sandbar one day, and another afternoon splashing around in the water off our dock. We also sat out on the deck, simply enjoying the view and the [...]

By |August 6th, 2021|Columns, Family, Travel|Comments Off on An extraordinary, ordinary visit

Back at Home

NOTE: Due to a technology glitch during a design update, my blog post last week did not go out to my complete mailing list, so I am repeating it this week. Look for a brand new post next week. We’re back home, after several weeks on the road. Our first trip was to Florida, to spend some time with our daughter as she was having – and recovering from – oral surgery. Then we came home long enough to unpack, do laundry, and repack for [...]

By |July 16th, 2021|Columns, Family, Holidays, Travel|Comments Off on Back at Home

Back at Home

We’re back home, after several weeks on the road. Our first trip was to Florida, to spend some time with our daughter as she was having – and recovering from – oral surgery. Then we came home long enough to unpack, do laundry, and repack for a trip to visit our son and his family in Minnesota, celebrating the 4th of July and our grandson’s first birthday. On our way there, we spent a few days touring a number of Civil War battle sites, and [...]

By |July 11th, 2021|Columns, Family, Holidays, Travel|Comments Off on Back at Home

A Normal Visit

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 [...]

By |April 25th, 2021|Columns, Family, Health and Well-being, Travel|Comments Off on A Normal Visit

A Welcome Road Trip

We spent two days driving, then two and a half days at our destination, and another two days coming home. Some people might question whether the time we spent there was worth the time it took to get there and back. Under other circumstances, I might agree. But not this time. We were visiting our grandkids. My husband and I got our second vaccination in mid-February, and waited the recommended amount of time to allow the vaccine to come to full strength. Then we hit [...]

By |March 20th, 2021|Accountability, Columns, Family, Health and Well-being, Travel|Comments Off on A Welcome Road Trip