Everyday, I write “No complaining, criticizing, or gossiping,” as part of a larger daily journal entry. Staying true to this phrase, inspired by Will Bowen’s A Complaint Free World, can be a daily battle. I am embarrassed to admit to that daily battle, especially as a 51-year-old who should know better. Let’s face it: there … [Read more…]
Today’s post has been days… possibly weeks in the making. I have added it to it, slowly, over the last week – a luxury I have enjoyed as a result of two full weeks away from work. There are advantages to writing a post over several days: time to mull things over, less pressure to … [Read more…]
There’s nothing better than spending time with people who make you feel good about life. You know the type: they are always smiling, they make you feel like you’re the most important person in the world, and they have a way of talking about others that shines a light on everybody. These folks have it … [Read more…]
The 10th episode of Sold a Story was released last week, and has done what good journalism does: it has made its listeners think. As always, Emily Hanford and Christopher Peak of APM Reports have given me great pause. The only thing stopping me from listening to the entire Sold a Story series again is … [Read more…]
We were able to celebrate my dad’s life last Friday, surrounded by family and friends, and with an outpouring of support from our community. My siblings and I, and all 13 grandchildren were dressed in finer attire than we were for Mom’s Celebration of Life in January: a testament to the difference between Mom and … [Read more…]
via GIFER I write today from a place of unease, with many contributors to that unease. 2024 has not been an easy year to date, and seems to be on track to be one my toughest ever. You might say I’m in a bit of a rut, as George Couros named it in Saturday’s weekly … [Read more…]
It has been three weeks since Mom passed away. It has been three weeks of trying to find my footing, with a lot of slippery slopes making it tricky to find that footing. As Mom’s illness took such a sudden turn the second week of January, my siblings and I were able to be at … [Read more…]
It’s probably a bit too cliché to write about gratitude the week in which we celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving, but I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity. I’m proud to say that I regularly practice an attitude of gratitude, but that attitude was developed over time and is a constant work in progress. For … [Read more…]
For a gal that is completely consumed by everything literacy, I sure do have a tendency to write about significant numbers: 60 Miles & Reading by the Numbers. This past weekend provided an opportunity to celebrate everything numbers. It marked the 70th anniversary of the West Point Sweet Corn Festival, an event marked by the … [Read more…]
“Well, we’re not gonna’ quit.” These are the words my mom responded with after having another DNR (do not resuscitate) conversation upon her recent admission to the hospital. She spent last Friday to Tuesday in the hospital due to some bleeding. It was suspected that the cause of the bleeding is another spot of melanoma … [Read more…]