What’s that you say? Learning to listen to my gut.

What’s that you say? Learning to listen to my gut.

It’s been almost a month since I wrote about intuition. In that time, I have been working on strengthening mine. As you may recall, one of the suggested exercises was to put your question out there; then be quiet, listen, and trust your gut. I thought I’d start with something small like, “What is my…

Mother knows best: lessons I’ve learned from my mother

Mother knows best: lessons I’ve learned from my mother

I come from a long line of smart, courageous, funny, loving women—none more so than my mother. So when I think about what I want to be when I “grow up,” I naturally look to her. She’s taught me many lessons through her example. Today, I share three of the most important. 1. Open your…

Cultivating joy

Cultivating joy

“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.” ― Leo Buscaglia The other day, as Larry and I drove past the hospital in our neighborhood, I commented to him that it’s been a long time since he’s been there. Then I quickly added, “Knock on wood” and rapped my…

Friday favorites

Friday favorites

It’s Friday again! Time to reflect on the good things that happened during the week and share the joy. Of course, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that I ran the Bear Lake Half, but since I’ve gone on about that ad nauseam, I’ll focus on the fabulous “book ends” to that day….

Joy is not the absence of pain

Joy is not the absence of pain

Live, LAUGH, learn, and love. Value: Joy—mine and others Achieving life is not the equivalent of avoiding death. Joy is not the absence of pain…light is not the absence of darkness…It’s not death we wish to avoid, but life we wish to live. ~Ayn Rand It’s ironic that the week I had planned to blog…

The best time of the day

The best time of the day

“Inhale and hold the evening in your lungs.” ~Sebastian Faulks, Engleby What is your favorite time of day? Mine is dinner time—and not just because I love to eat (which I do). For me, on a typical day, dinner signals the end of the “must dos” and the beginning of “me time.” I know for…

Grand: (adjective) having more importance than others

Grand: (adjective) having more importance than others

“Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grandparent.” » Donald A. Norberg Larry and I have spent the last 10 days living with three of our grandchildren—two teenage boys and a 10-year-old girl. Talk about a change in life circumstance (more food to fix, more…

The most wonderful time of the year

The most wonderful time of the year

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! And yet, for many of us, one of the most stressful. We worry about getting the perfect gift for someone special, how much to pay for that perfect gift, and once it’s purchased, whether someone will steal it off the porch (or out of the car) before…

The best things in life are…not on a to-do list

The best things in life are…not on a to-do list

I just had a rude awakening (one of many in my lifetime). I had been operating on the assumption that in 2-1/2 years, with 20 years of service under my belt, I would have the option to retire, collect my pension, and ride into the sunset (should I choose to). That is not the case….

Don’t worry; be happy

Don’t worry; be happy

Don’t worry; be happy. But what if the thing I’m worried about is that I’m not happy enough? We’re only on this earth for a short time. I want to make the most of it, and that means experiencing joy as often and as deep as I can. But that’s a pressure all of its…