How do you express your thanks on Thanksgiving Day? Many people say a special blessing as they sit down to their Thanksgiving dinner. Some go around the table and have everyone name one or more of the people and things they are thankful for. For others it’s more private, with meditation or prayers of gratitude on their own. I usually do some combination of this, and this year, I decided to add something new. I made a list of things I am grateful for, running [...]
“As we get older, we get wiser. At what age are we the smartest?” That’s the question that was asked of contestants at a Toastmasters Table Topics competition I attended recently. In a Table Topics contest, participants are given the question, and must immediately give a one- to two-minute response. The purpose of Table Topics, in competition and at regular Toastmasters meetings, is to help people learn to think on their feet, organize their thoughts quickly, and give a confident, intelligent-sounding response to spur-of-the-moment questions. [...]
I still remember my daughter’s first day of pre-school. Her big brother was already in kindergarten, and after I dropped my daughter off at school and returned home, it hit me that for the first time in a number of years, I had a block of time, during the day, all to myself. I stopped short as I stepped through the doorway, thinking about the best way to use that time. Should I do a whirlwind housecleaning, since I could do so without any kids [...]
It was my husband’s 50th high school reunion, but we made it a week filled with reunions, from high school classmates and college buddies to other friends and family members we haven’t seen in quite a while. The high school reunion was the main reason for our trip to Chicago. But our first visit when we got into town was with friends we’ve known for well over fifty years. In our younger days, we used to go camping together, often with little more than a [...]
“Neighbors Helping Neighbors.” It’s a wonderful thought, isn’t it? It’s also the name of an organization I learned about recently. I was working a volunteer shift at a Non-Profit Expo sponsored by the Eatonton-Putnam Chamber of Commerce. I was there with Georgia Writers Museum, one of about a dozen charities and non-profits at the Expo. In between the time we spent talking with visitors at our own tables, we had time to visit each other’s. I enjoyed meeting new people, as well as chatting with [...]
There was much in the news last week to spark outrage, no matter which side of the political divide you’re on. And, of course, that divide got deeper and wider as time went on. Which is all the more reason an unrelated incident in the news was so welcome and heartwarming. I’m referring to the Little League Regional Championship game in which a batter got knocked down by a wild pitch that hit him in the helmet. That, of course, wasn’t the heartwarming part. It [...]
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 [...]
I spent the weekend in Duluth – Georgia, not Minnesota – attending a Toastmasters District Conference. It was our first live conference since Spring of 2019, and it felt wonderful to be there again, live and in person. Numerous safety measures were in place, including mask and social distancing rules and recommendations, and a requirement for proof of a negative COVID test taken 24 hours before the start of the Conference. A testing station was set up near the registration table at the hotel, for [...]
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 [...]