This is the view from my front porch security camera this week. This is what I want it to look like. I have a bad case of spring fever. I just want to get out and enjoy Mother Nature, but she isn’t cooperating. And since I have begrudgingly accepted the fact that I can’t control…
On the day this post publishes, we in the United States are celebrating Presidents Day. Originally established to celebrate George Washington’s birthday, the holiday is widely accepted as a shared celebration of George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s birthdays. Many consider it to be a more general celebration of all U.S. presidents, past and present. Whether…
Valentine’s Day has traditionally been the holiday of lovers. In more recent years, the holiday has expanded to include important platonic relationships. You probably know someone who celebrates Galentine’s or Palentine’s Day. But what about using this day as an opportunity to celebrate your most important relationship? The one you have with yourself. What would…
As a devout introvert, overthinker, and goal setter, I am always looking for ways to live a purposeful, intentional life. Several years ago, I created a personal mission statement as a way to hone in on my life philosophy and serve as an ethical and behavioral touchstone. My mission statement is simple and encompasses my…
You may have noticed (or not) that I have been absent from the Blogosphere for the last couple of weeks. We have been in Mazatlan, Mexico, celebrating the life of a dear friend. Making new friends, and embracing old friends. Eating, drinking, and being merry. Taking long, contemplative walks on the beach. Digging up treasures…
The blogosphere is currently full of posts about New Year’s Resolutions and Words of the Year. I even contributed one. I remain unapologetic about that; however, my fellow blogger Ally Bean took a different approach that I find intriguing, New Year’s Rejections. It occurs to me that these two approaches are not mutually exclusive. In…
Has the hustle of the holidays left you feeling ungrounded? Perhaps 2022 was overwhelming altogether. Or maybe, like me, you recently retired or went through some other major life transition. Whatever your reason, if you are feeling ungrounded, there is no better time than the beginning of a new year to re-ground yourself. That is…
The end of the year is approaching. It’s a perfect time for taking stock and making changes. For me, this year, that means updating my blog. (I still have the same theme and photos that I used the day I started my blog in October 2014!) It’s time for a remodel. I will be taking…
Can something be both glorious and awful all at the same time? If you’re a runner, you know the answer to that question is a resounding yes! Before today, I hadn’t gone on a single run in more than a year, and I haven’t run regularly since pre-COVID. But for some reason the trail has…
When someone praises you, do you feel pleased or uncomfortable? When someone criticizes you, are you devastated or defensive? Perhaps a combination of the two? In her book, We Were Made for These Times, Kaira Jewel Lingo offers another more thoughtful response: you are partly right. This response acknowledges that neither praise nor blame is…
